Six Years Later: Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) and CSKA Clash Again in Bulgaria Cup Final

  • May 20, 2026 | 07:00

Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) and CSKA will face each other in the final of the Sesame Bulgaria Cup. The trophy battle will take place at 19:00 on the field at Vasil Levski Stadium, and will be refereed by Mariyan Gribencharski.

The stands are expected to be filled with over 30,000 spectators, creating a festive atmosphere.

On their journey to the final, the "smurfs" eliminated Dunav (Ruse), Montana, their city rival Botvina, and Arda, while the capital-based team overcame Svilievo, Lokomotiv (Sofia), CSKA 1948, and Ludogorets.

BalkanArena's Predictions for the Bulgaria Cup Final

In their last cup win, "army men" triumphed over Arda with a narrow 1-0 victory, thanks to a goal by Bismark Charles, in 2021. The previous year, the "black and whites" celebrated their victory in the final, defeating precisely CSKA. The success of the Plovdiv team came as a result of overcoming significant odds.

Both teams will undoubtedly throw all their efforts into securing a mandatory victory, which will guarantee their participation in European tournaments. It is worth noting that for the past two seasons, the "red" team has not qualified for Europe, and a failure is not an option for the club. Lokomotiv's last international appearance was during the 2021/22 season.

There is another possibility for European qualification for both teams. If CSKA fails to win the trophy, they must still defeat Ludogorets in the final round of the efbet League. In this case, the "army men" will secure a minimum playoff spot, and if CSKA 1948 loses to Levski, the team led by Hristo Yanev might even end up in second place in the championship and directly qualify for the preliminary rounds of the Conference League.

The "smurfs" are trailing by two points behind the fifth-ranked team Black Sea. If they lose today's final, they will reach the playoff position only if they beat Botvina (Plovdiv) and hope that the "sea men" make a mistake against Arda.

Last weekend, the "reds" lost to Levski 0-2, while Lokomotiv (Pd) suffered a heavy defeat 0-4 in Kardzhali. Both teams are in a series of two consecutive matches without success. CSKA previously drew with CSKA 1948, and the "black and whites" fell to "Ticha."

Gribencharski: The car is ready, even though we previously dragged it with a rope, let the sawyers drink a valerian

The good news for Dushan Kosich is that five of his key players return from suspension. These are Katalin Itu, Ivaylo Ivanov, Andrei Kindrish, Todor Pavlov, and Martin Atanasov. However, Georgi Chorbadjiev will be absent, as he is on loan from "Lauta" to CSKA.

Kosich: We are ready! We want to show the mentality of a winner

Hristo Yanev will also have all his players at his disposal. James Etou, who missed the last two matches due to accumulated cards, is back in action and is expected to return to the starting lineup. Facundo Rodriguez and Mohamed Brahimi are also expected to return to the lineup, having been rested for the match against Levski. Rodriguez had four official warnings and was "hanging," while Brahimi was held back due to minor issues and was saved for today's match.

Zafeto: Success in the final is crucial for CSKA's future

The Plovdiv coach also gave a break to most of his key players, who will return to the team for the big clash with the "army men."

Earlier in the season, the two teams exchanged home victories — Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) won 1-0 at "Lauta," while CSKA won 2-1 at the National Stadium.

Lokomotiv (Plovdiv) - CSKA

Start: 11:00 PM
Referee: Mariyan Gribencharski
Stadium: "Vasil Levski," Sofia