The Carling Knockout quarter-finals kick off at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday with Mamelodi Sundowns facing Golden Arrows for the fourth time this season.
Sundowns have won two of the three fixtures between the sides so far this season. The Brazilians were beaten 1-0 in the MTN8 semi-final first leg, but came back to win the tie on away goals with a 3-2 second leg victory and subsequently beat Arrows 2-1 in the Premiership.
Arrows are under new leadership, with Mandla Ncikazi having returned to steer the club again nearly five and a half years after leaving for Orlando Pirates. He served as an assistant coach for the bulk of his stint at Pirates, but was also co-coach alongside Fadlu Davids in 2021-22 in between the tenures of Josef Zinnbauer and Jose Riveiro.
Ncikazi returns with experience in abundance, including a 2025-26 Premiership title which he was part of under Abdeslam Ouaddou, with Sundowns missing out on a ninth successive title due to a brilliant Buccaneers campaign.
However, Ncikazi was given a reminder in his first game back at Abafana Bes'thende (the Backheel Boys) that although experienced, he is not a magician. An AmaZulu side which appears an increasingly ominous threat to Sundowns, Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs in the established order of South African football beat Arrows 1-0 in Saturday's Durban derby, with Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya scoring the winner.
Arthur Zwane has been coaching Usuthu for just over two years - six months as co-coach followed by more than a year and a half as the sole head coach.
AmaZulu's progression in that time, combined with Durban City's 2025-26 Nedbank Cup win, have given KwaZulu-Natal hope that their province can produce teams to challenge South African football's traditional giants.
Ncikazi will need time to emulate what Zwane has done at AmaZulu, but recent performances against Sundowns this season and last have shown that the club does already have some of the foundation laid already, and can challenge the big guns on their day.
In the other quarter-final clashes, Kaizer Chiefs will host Siwelele, Orlando Pirates will be at home to Sekhukhune United, and AmaZulu will visit Stellenbosch.
Kick-off times and venues for those fixtures are still to be confirmed. The action will be available on SuperSport, with ESPN providing updates on our digital platforms.
Carling Cup fixtures
Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Golden Arrows: Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. CAT at Loftus Versfeld
Kaizer Chiefs vs. Siwelele: TBC
Orlando Pirates vs. Sekhukhune United: TBC
Stellenbosch vs. AmaZulu: TBC