MTN8 sets Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United for three meetings

Orlando Pirates sit first in the 2026 South African Premier Soccer League with seven points from three matches. They will face Sekhukhune United three times between 22 and 29 August, with two MTN8 semi-final legs surrounding a league fixture.

The first meeting is scheduled for 22 August at Peter Mokaba Stadium, where Sekhukhune will host the opening leg. Pirates then welcome the same opponents to Orlando Stadium for a league match on 25 August, before the semi-final tie concludes on 29 August.

The sequence covers two competitions in seven days and leaves little separation between the fixtures. Pirates will have to move between their league campaign and the defence of the MTN8 title they won last season, while Sekhukhune will be seeking progress in the cup and points in the league.

Pirates have opened their league season with two wins and one draw, scoring six goals and conceding one. Their recent five-match record outside that league run is less consistent, with defeats against Al Suqoor, Al-Ittihad FC and Cadiz, another loss to Al Suqoor, a victory over Las Palmas and a draw with Cordoba. Their next listed fixture is the MTN8 semi-final first leg against Sekhukhune on 22 August.

The Buccaneers reached the semi-finals after beating Durban City 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals. Sekhukhune also needed extra time to advance, defeating AmaZulu 4-3 in a quarter-final that secured their place in the last four.

Sekhukhune have taken six points from their first three league matches under Cedric Kaze. They began with a 1-0 win over Durban City, lost 2-0 to Kaizer Chiefs and responded with a 2-0 victory against Polokwane City, setting up a tightly packed week against the league leaders.