Kaizer Chiefs have had too many draws of late, five in their last six games, and TS Galaxy too many defeats, having lost their last three fixtures. That has led to their coach, former Chiefs striker Bernard Parker, being demoted.
This is certainly a fixture with a history of draws too, with nine of their 14 previous meetings ending all square. Chiefs have won two and Galaxy three, meaning the head-to-head record is actually narrowly in favour of The Rockets.
That being said, Chiefs won 2-0 when they last met in April.
Their only two previous knockout meetings came in the Nedbank Cup, as Galaxy famously won the 2019 final against Chiefs while still a second-tier side and then beat them again in 2022.
These two sides met on the opening day of the league season when Pirates won 2-0, but the promoted side from KwaZulu-Natal have proven a tough nut to crack in the top flight so far this campaign.
Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi got the goals back in August, but it was by no means a one-sided affair.
Pirates have won this competition only twice in their history, with their most recent success coming last season when they defeated Marumo Gallants in the final. Milford are making their debut in the Carling Knockout.
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Marumo Gallants
Gallants stunned Sundowns in the first round last season when they held the Brazilians to a 0-0 draw and then won on penalties. So revenge is in the air for the men from Mamelodi.
That was a rare bit of respite for Gallants in this fixture, with Sundowns winning 11 of their 16 previous meetings and the other five games ending in draws.
Sundowns were also ousted on penalties in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup in 2021 by Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, who subsequently became Marumo Gallants, as they went on to lift the trophy. Sundowns have two other Nedbank Cup successes over them.
So Gallants will be looking for a first-ever outright win over Miguel Cardoso’s men, or to take the game to penalties …
Kruger United will make their debut in the competition after their promotion last season and come up against an AmaZulu side in red-hot form.
Usuthu have won their last four games in a row and risen to third in the league table, while Kruger languish near the bottom.
These sides have never met before, but the two coaches know each other well, Usuthu’s Arthur Zwane and Abram Mongoya of Kruger.
Kruger will hope home-ground advantage gets them over the line, though they have lost all four league games they have played in Mpumalanga this season.
Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Chippa United
Both these sides might fancy this as a chance to progress, though Golden Arrows will be favourites at home.
They played to a 0-0 draw in Durban on the opening day of the season and recent clashes have been tight, with just two goals in the last four fixtures, both of which were scored by Golden Arrows in a single match.
That means three 0-0 draws in the last four, and there have been 12 stalemates in all in 26 previous clashes, with eight wins for Abafana Bes’thende and six for Chippa.
They have only ever met in one previous knockout clash, with Chippa claiming a 2-1 away victory in the Nedbank Cup in 2025.
Durban City vs Stellenbosch FC
Another fixture in Durban pits two wily old coaches against one another as new Durban City tactician Eric Tinkler takes on Stellenbosch FC and Gavin Hunt.
Tinkler has a dire record against the Winelands club, with just a single victory in 14 previous meetings as a coach. That came with Maritzburg United, who are now Durban City, in a league game in 2020. In the other 13 matches, he has four draws and nine defeats.
These two sides played to a 0-0 draw in Durban in early September and there has, in fact, never been a goal scored in the three matches between the sides, which have all ended in stalemates. Hopefully we see one this time round!
Sekhukhune United vs Richards Bay
These two sides clashed just before the FIFA international break and Sekhukhune ran out 3-2 winners away from home. They led 2-0, were then pegged back to 2-2 but found a winner in the end.
The honours have been even in their 12 meetings down the years, though, with four wins each and four draws.
Richards Bay won a Carling Knockout tie 1-0 at home in 2024 and will hope for a repeat after a tough start to the league season that sees them second-bottom in the table.
New coach Dimitar Pantev has arrived and will hope to change their fortunes.
These two sides clash in the league this coming weekend, though the match will be played in Bloemfontein.
It will be an early sighter ahead of their cup clash, which will follow in Limpopo the next weekend.
They have met just twice before, with Polokwane winning 1-0 away from home last season and the reverse fixture ending 0-0.