Pirates & Downs NBK Cup final provides PSL teams with CAF incentive

Both Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns making it to the Nedbank Cup final is set to benefit several PSL teams to fight for an extra CAF Confederation Cup spot that has become available.

Pirates reached back-to-back finals after thrashing Chippa United 3-1 in the first semi-final on Saturday and Sundowns booked a meeting with their rivals after edging Stellenbosch 2-1 on Sunday in the other semi-final.

Ordinarily, the winner of the Nedbank Cup qualifies for the CAF Confederation Cup and if the winner has already qualified for a CAF tournament, the finalist would gain entry into the second-tier inter-club tournament, as was the case with Sekhukhune United last season, after the Buccaneers, who won the national cup, qualified for the CAF Champions League.

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However, as the Brazilians have already secured passage into the CAF Champions League and Pirates in a good position to finish in a CAF spot, there will be an extra incentive in the DStv Premiership, as a team that finishes fourth would qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup, in addition to the team that finishes third.

As things stand, Stellenbosch and the Buccaneers are separated by three points in second and third place respectively while Sekhukhune occupy fourth position, six points adrift of Jose Riveiro's charges.

Other teams such as TS Galaxy, SuperSport United, Cape Town City and Kaizer Chiefs, would still stand a chance to finish at least in a fourth spot and qualify for the CAF Confederation Cup.

Chiefs, who are lying eighth on the table are seven points adrift of fourth-placed Babina Noko, with only four rounds of matches remaining while the Rockets and Matsatsantsa are a little bit closer to the Limpopo