Chippa United vs Orlando Pirates Prediction: Pirates qualify for the final

Chippa United and Orlando Pirates will battle it in the first game of the semifinal Nedbank Cup. Both teams will have high hopes here, but the odds lie in favor of Orlando Pirates. Can Chippa United shock them here?

Chippa United are coming off a 1-2 defeat at the hands of Moroka Swallows in the South Africa Premier League. In that encounter, Chippa United took the lead in the 17th minute of the game through Kayden Francis’ strike, but their poor second-half play saw them bottle their advantage and concede twice in the last 20 minutes. In the meantime, that defeat made it two losses in a row for this side, as a prior game also saw them lose to AmaZulu on the road. However, Chippa United's last match in this Nedbank Cup was against TS Galaxy in the quarterfinal stage, and this side secured a 0-2 win on the road as underdogs.

Prematch facts show that Chippa United have lost just once in the last six home matches, a run where they won four, drew one, and lost one. Also, this side has scored at least one goal in their last six games in all competitions.

Orlando Pirates showed their consistent level of play again earlier this week as they easily defeated Cape Town City in a 0-2 encounter. In that game, the second-half brace by Tshegofatso Mabasa for the Orlando Pirates side was all they needed to take all three points in a league encounter, coming in the 58th and 72nd minutes. In the meantime, the last meeting for this side in this Nedbank Cup was in the quarterfinal against AmaZulu, and they did well to score four twice to get past their opponents, who scored twice.

Prematch facts show that Orlando Pirates have won their last five games in all competitions. This side has lost just once in as many as 14 matches. The Orlando Pirates have won all their last three games on the road. Also, in the South Africa Premier League, Orlando Pirates are seated third spot with 46 points, three behind second-placed Stellenbosch.

A look at these sides' last ten meetings shows that Orlando Pirates have a dominant performance of seven wins, while two encounters ended in draws. However, Chippa United secured a win in one encounter in 2022, a game that ended 0-1. 

This will be a tough contest, as both teams are expected to be at their best. While the odds lie in favor of Orlando Pirates, much is undoubtedly anticipated from them, as this side has been playing top-level games and displaying character in recent weeks. Chippa United has proven stubborn in the last few weeks, but coming off consecutive defeats, they must show they are up to the task. The two teams will have their chances here, but this game is expected to focus more on defensive play. Take Orlando Pirates to win here as the better team, while the total number of goals is expected to be low.