The Carling Knockout quarter-finals get going on Tuesday, and the first game feels very familiar. Mamelodi Sundowns will host Golden Arrows at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. Believe it or not, this will be their fourth meeting of the season. If you have been searching for carling knockout quarter-finals sundowns news, the simple answer is this: kick off is on 3 November at 7 p.m. CAT, and the match will be shown on SuperSport.
Let’s go through it step by step. It’s an easy story to follow, and there’s more to it than just one game.
Kick off time and where to watch
The match is on Tuesday, 3 November, and the whistle goes at 7 p.m. CAT. Sundowns will be at home at Loftus Versfeld.
Watching it shouldn’t be a problem. SuperSport has the rights to these matches, so if you have DStv, check your sports channels on the day. The SuperSport website is the easiest place to confirm channel numbers and any schedule changes. For official competition news, you can also visit the Premier Soccer League site.
Sundowns and Arrows have met three times already
By now these two clubs could probably write each other’s team talks. Sundowns have won two of the three games so far.
It started in the MTN8 semifinal. Arrows took the first leg 1 to 0, and for a while it looked like they had the upper hand. Sundowns hit back in the second leg with a 3 to 2 win, and that was enough to send them through on away goals. It was close, and it was nervy.
Then the two teams met in the Premiership, where Sundowns won 2 to 1. So the picture is clear. One win for Arrows, two for Sundowns, and not a lot between them in any of the games.
That’s what makes Tuesday interesting. The home side shouldn’t expect a comfortable evening.
A new coach at Golden Arrows
The biggest talking point at Arrows is who’s sitting on the bench. Mandla Ncikazi is back in charge. He left to join Orlando Pirates nearly five and a half years ago, and now he has returned to where it started.
At Pirates, he spent most of his time as an assistant coach. In the 2021/22 season, he also shared the top job with Fadlu Davids. That was after Josef Zinnbauer left and before Jose Riveiro took over.
His recent record is hard to ignore. Ncikazi was part of the Pirates team that won the 2025/26 Premiership title under Abdeslam Ouaddou. That title also meant Sundowns missed out on a ninth league title in a row. The Buccaneers had a brilliant season.
So he brings plenty of know how. But football has a way of keeping everyone humble, and his first game back was a good example.
A tough return in the Durban derby
Ncikazi’s comeback match didn’t go his way. On Saturday, Arrows lost the Durban derby to AmaZulu by 1 to 0. Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya scored the only goal.
AmaZulu are fast becoming a team that the big clubs can’t take lightly. Sundowns, Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will have noticed. Arthur Zwane has been in charge there for just over two years. He began as a joint coach for six months and then spent more than a year and a half as the main man.
There’s good news for the province in general. Durban City won the 2025/26 Nedbank Cup, and that has added to the excitement. Fans in KwaZulu-Natal now feel their teams can take on the traditional giants.
Ncikazi will need time to build something like that at Arrows. Still, the foundation looks decent. Their games against Sundowns this season and last have shown that they can fight with the big sides on a good day. That makes this quarter final worth a proper look.
The other quarter finals
Sundowns against Arrows is only the start. Three more games are coming, and here is where things stand.
| Match | Date and time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Mamelodi Sundowns vs Golden Arrows | Tuesday, 3 November, 7 p.m. CAT | Loftus Versfeld |
| Kaizer Chiefs vs Siwelele | To be confirmed | Chiefs home ground |
| Orlando Pirates vs Sekhukhune United | To be confirmed | Pirates home ground |
| Stellenbosch vs AmaZulu | To be confirmed | Stellenbosch home ground |
Kaizer Chiefs will welcome Siwelele, and Orlando Pirates will host Sekhukhune United. AmaZulu travel to take on Stellenbosch. Times and venues for these three have not been confirmed yet, so it’s worth checking official channels in the coming days.
What to expect on Tuesday
Sundowns will go in as favourites, and that’s fair. They’re at home, and they have the better record this season. But Arrows have already beaten them once, and the other two games were tight as well. Nobody at Loftus will be relaxed.
Arrows will be keen to put the derby loss behind them. A new coach also tends to bring a few fresh ideas, even with very little time on the training field. Sundowns, on the other hand, will want a cleaner night than the nervy second leg in the MTN8.
Cup football is also a different animal. There’s no table to fall back on and no second chance in a single match. One slip can end the whole run, and that makes every pass and every tackle feel bigger than usual.
Why this matchup matters
For Sundowns, this is a way to chase silverware after missing out on the league title last season. For Arrows, it’s a chance to hand their new coach a big early result and lift the mood at the club quickly.
And for the neutral fan, it’s an easy game to enjoy. There’s history between the teams, there’s a fresh coaching story, and the result could go either way.
Final word
The Carling Knockout quarter-finals open with a game that has plenty going on. Sundowns want to keep moving forward. Golden Arrows want to show that their new chapter can begin with a surprise.
Just remember the key details: Tuesday, 3 November, 7 p.m. CAT, Loftus Versfeld, live on SuperSport. The other three quarter finals will follow once the dates are confirmed.
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