Rammies, Bucs go into battle

PREMIERSHIP heavyweights Orlando Pirates and Ramblers will have to decide among themselves who will be going to the final of the MTC Cup, when they are set to muscle their way beyond the semi-final of the competition at Walvis Bay tomorrow.

The path to the final will be decided at the Kuisebmond Stadium, where hordes of spectators are expected as MTC has tons of promotional material available which will be given away free and through competitions. The other semi-final pits SKW against Oshakati City, a match which would be difficult to determine as neither side has ever tasted victory in a major cup competition since entering top-flight football.Ramblers will be the favourites for this one, judging from their current excellent league run, while Pirates should be satisfied with the “underdog” tag because they often rise to the occasion when it matters.Ramblers are the defending champions of the competition, which was formerly known as the NFA Cup, and now transformed to MTC Cup because of the 50 per cent stake that the cellular company has in football.Ramblers have a solid defence marshalled by Michael Pienaar, George Tsamaseb and Bernadine Mbilizi, while their strikers, who will be without Lazarus Kaimbi, are expected to be led by the magnificent Samson John.Ramblers coaches Tollie van Wyk and David Fransman should be assured of a win, provided they attack from their strong wings, score quick goals and contain the Pirates midfield.Pirates have plenty of firepower in especially their midfield, with Riaan Cloete, who is the biggest hope of making things happen for his side, expected to do just that.There will be no excuses at the final whistle from either side, as they both have enough ammunition to demolish each other at a neutral venue.Pirates coach Brian Isaacs can win the match by moving in from the midfield to score, as the Ramblers defence is extremely tight on the flanks, while they will be better off if their goalkeeper has safe hands.The Kuisebmond Stadium is a venue where exciting football is always on the cards because of the people who turn up in masses to encourage the teams.The match between Oshakati City and SKW might go either way, but the cup drought that City has had since it was formed in 1966 will give them courage to make their way to the final.Oshakati City, also known as ‘Ekondobolo Lanangombe’ have never reached the semi-finals of any major cup competition since gaining promotion two seasons ago, This weekend will be crucial for City to make history by reaching the final.City has also not won the league before.In this match, City will go in as favourites after they surprisingly downed Blue Waters in the quarter-finals, while SKW, who beat Eleven Arrows in the quarters, have nothing to fear since they are the least favoured.SKW does not have the huge football support base that City has, and this will be a boost for City at the coast, where some of the fans of the northern side are based.The final of the competition will be played on the weekend of June 3 and 4 in Windhoek.* See full fixtures and times on this page.The other semi-final pits SKW against Oshakati City, a match which would be difficult to determine as neither side has ever tasted victory in a major cup competition since entering top-flight football.Ramblers will be the favourites for this one, judging from their current excellent league run, while Pirates should be satisfied with the “underdog” tag because they often rise to the occasion when it matters.Ramblers are the defending champions of the competition, which was formerly known as the NFA Cup, and now transformed to MTC Cup because of the 50 per cent stake that the cellular company has in football.Ramblers have a solid defence marshalled by Michael Pienaar, George Tsamaseb and Bernadine Mbilizi, while their strikers, who will be without Lazarus Kaimbi, are expected to be led by the magnificent Samson John.Ramblers coaches Tollie van Wyk and David Fransman should be assured of a win, provided they attack from their strong wings, score quick goals and contain the Pirates midfield.Pirates have plenty of firepower in especially their midfield, with Riaan Cloete, who is the biggest hope of making things happen for his side, expected to do just that.There will be no excuses at the final whistle from either side, as they both have enough ammunition to demolish each other at a neutral venue.Pirates coach Brian Isaacs can win the match by moving in from the midfield to score, as the Ramblers defence is extremely tight on the flanks, while they will be better off if their goalkeeper has safe hands.The Kuisebmond Stadium is a venue where exciting football is always on the cards because of the people who turn up in masses to encourage the teams.The match between Oshakati City and SKW might go either way, but the cup drought that City has had since it was formed in 1966 will give them courage to make their way to the final.Oshakati City, also known as ‘Ekondobolo Lanangombe’ have never reached the semi-finals of any major cup competition since gaining promotion two seasons ago, This weekend will be crucial for City to make history by reaching the final.City has also not won the league before.In this match, City will go in as favourites after they surprisingly downed Blue Waters in the quarter-finals, while SKW, who beat Eleven Arrows in the quarters, have nothing to fear since they are the least favoured.SKW does not have the huge football support base that City has, and this will be a boost for City at the coast, where some of the fans of the northern side are based.The final of the competition will be played on the weekend of June 3 and 4 in Windhoek.* See full fixtures and times on this page.