Cup finals pitting Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are as rare as they tend to be intense, but fate has provided the Nedbank Cup as the latest offering.
The picturesque Mbombela Stadium will be the venue for the season curtain-closer contest that has the vibrancy of Rulani Mokwena up against the tranquil Jose Riveiro.
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This might be the second cup final meeting between the two clubs this season but is only the fifth ever in the history of cup competition football in South Africa dating back to 1971.
The Brazilians have won three, while the MTN8 success earlier this season was the first for The Buccaneers.
Now that the scene has been set for the clash pitting two of the Big Three in domestic football, it will either be three trophies this season for Sundowns or two for Pirates.
The only ever previous cup final meeting between the two clubs in the Nedbank Cup (National Cup) was in 1998.
Back then, this competition was known as the BOB Save Super Bowl and that final needed a replay plus extra-time and penalties to produce a winner.
After the two teams were not separated following 240 minutes of open play, Sundowns won 6-5 on penalties following the replay awkwardly played on July 27, 1998, after the initial final on May 17 .
The drama of that replay cannot be forgotten with Daniel Mudau and Sam Pam both converting from the spot in extra time.
Mudau then missed the first of five penalties, while Pirates had Steve Lekoelea then also missing to send the shoot-out to sudden death, where Gavin Lane brought tears to The Ghost.
In the Carling Knockout (League Cup), the 1990 John Player Special (JPS) Knockout Cup was the only meeting between the two in the competition and was won 2-1 on aggregate by Sundowns.
Then in the MTN8 (Top 8), besides Pirates' win earlier this season which came courtesy of a 3-1 penalty win at Moses Mabhida Stadium, there was another meeting between the two clubs in the same competition in 2007.
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Sundowns won that SAA Supa8 final on a 1-0 score with Brent Carelse providing the winner at the ABSA Stadium in Durban.
This was just five days after the burial of Gift Leremi, who had been on the books of Sundowns two months after he left Pirates.
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