The Buccaneers went down 5-4 on penalties to Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars following a goalless draw after 120 minutes. Pirates fielded a strong starting line up, making just three changes from the side that suffered a 2-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in their Betway Premiership clash on Wednesday.
Andre de Jong replaced Yanela Mbuthuma in attack, Tshepang Moremi came in for Oswin Appollis, while Mpho Tshabatsane slotted in for Lebone Seema in the defence. As expected, the hosts began brightly, applying early pressure on Casric, as the visitors' coach had indicated in the build up to the game that his side would not go toe-to-toe with the Sea Robbers, opting instead for a more cautious approach.
Despite creating several promising opportunities, neither side could find the breakthrough in regulation time. The additional 30 minutes of extra time also failed to separate the teams. Casric ultimately completed a major upset in the penalty shootout, edging Pirates 5-4 to progress to the quarter-finals. Pirates’ elimination follows Sundowns' earlier exit from the competition, after they were beaten 2-0 by TS Galaxy at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium.

