Makhaula's cruel blow to former side: 'I knew they'll never come back'

In the midst of  the controversy he finds himself in, midfielder Makhehlene Makhaula has opened up on his performance as Orlando Pirates hammered his former side AmaZulu FC in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final.

The Buccaneers booked their ticket to the semi-finals with a 4-2 win over Usuthu at a sold-out Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

Pirates’ goals came from Makhaula, Kabelo Dlamini and Patrick Maswanganyi (brace).

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The match carried some sentimental significance for Makhaula, who went toe-to-toe with a side he captained before joining the Buccaneers in January 2023.

The defensive midfielder was, however, in the midst of controversy as it was a foul on him by Usuthu’s Taariq Fielies that was ultimately ruled as a penalty which handed Pirates a precious equaliser when AmaZulu were 1-0 up just before half-time.

Makhaula also come under some criticism for celebrating scoring against his former team, something most players opt against as a gesture of respect.

Speaking to the club’s media after the match, the 33-year-old shed some light on his side's preparations and his performance in the thrill-a-minute encounter.

"A difficult team to play against. A team that is disciplined on the defensive and they are good in transitions. They have big players. I think they play on the counter, they always sit at the back," Makhaula revealed.

"For us, I think we are playing really well. Even though we knew that they were going to come with a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2, but I think during the week, everything was coming okay.

"It really was a tough battle, I wanted to score, and I scored. Unfortunately for them, they lost and I knew in my heart that If I can score here, the game would be over, and they will never come back."

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The win sees Pirates take one step further to defend their Nedbank Cup title and that resolve will be put to the test once more when they meet Chippa United in the semi-finals.

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