Big night for ‘KG’ and Palace
Bafana Bafana midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi will be hoping to seal his place in a Wembley final tonight when his Crystal Palace side travel to Cardiff City for the second leg of their Carlin Cup semifinal.
Palace lead 1-0 from the home leg a fortnight ago and are fighting for the right to meet either Liverpool or Manchester City in the title decider at Wembley on February 26. The two Premiership giants face-off in their semifinal at Anfield on Wednesday with The Reds 1-0 up in that tie too.
Palace have not won in Cardiff in almost eight years, so will be thankful that a draw would be enough to see them into the final, and that is something they have managed in two of their last three visits.
Counting in Palaces’ favour as well is that in four previous meetings in this competition against Cardiff, they have never lost – winning three and drawn one.
The prize on offer for Dikgacoi and his side is not just the chance to win a first piece of major silverware in the clubs history, the closes they have coming before being a losing effort in the 1990 FA Cup final against Manchester United, but also the potential for European football.
The winner of the Carling Cup is entered into the Uefa Europa League the following season, but even defeat against City or Liverpool could see Palace compete on the continent if the side qualify through their League placings.
Other South Africans to have featured in Wembley finals in recent years include Steven Pienaar for Everton in 2009 and Aaron Mokoena for Portsmouth in 2010. Both lost their FA Cup deciders to Chelsea.