Masandawana and the Buccaneers prefer to make the grass sing.
Orlando Pirates celebrate winning the 2025 MTN8, their fourth MTN8 title on the spin. Can they make it five against Sundowns on Saturday? Picture: Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix
Former Bafana Bafana head coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba famously described a clash between his side and Nigeria in 2014 by quoting an African proverb – “When two elephants meet, it is the grass that suffers”.
Pirates v Sundowns and a proverb revisited
This is a bit of a misinterpretation of said proverb. What it means is that when two superpowers go to war, it is the vulnerable (the grass) that pay the price.
But hey, everyone knew what Masahaba meant – that a hell of a battle could be expected between Bafana and the Super Eagles.
Maybe the proverb just needs a slight tweak for footballing purposes. Let’s apply it to Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in Saturday’s MTN8 final. The Buccaneers and Masandawana are not really ones to make ‘the grass suffer’ on a football pitch.
Far-and-away the two best teams in the domestic game right now, Masandawana and the Buccaneers prefer to make the grass sing, sliding pretty passes across the surface and taking team after team to the cleaners.
As such they are maybe more gazelles than elephants, dancing across the field with elegance and panache.
Abdeslam Ouaddou’s Pirates have picked up seamlessly where they left off last season, unbeaten in all competitions, and looking for a fifth consecutive MTN8 crown.
The Buccaneers have made light of the departure of superstar Relebohile Mofokeng, the reigning Premiership champions picking up 19 points out of a possible 21 in the league and surging into another MTN8 final.
Sundowns, meanwhile, are top of the Premiership table and also unbeaten in the league. Having won eight Premiership titles in a row before Pirates’ triumph last season, Miguel Cardoso’s side seem determined to once again show who’s boss.
Can Sundowns send a message?
A victory over Pirates in the MTN8 final would be the perfect way for Sundowns to send an early season message to the Buccaneers.
Sundowns do not have a great record in the MTN8, with just four wins in all the tournament’s incarnations.
But this season, Cardoso’s men have looked dead set on adding a fifth, illustrated in the way they stormed back to beat Golden Arrows in the semifinal, second leg, after losing the first leg at home.
Whoever wins, one hopes these two fantastic sides are able to make the grass sing and produce a fantastic advert for the local game.
