South Africa’s version of the FA Cup – the
Nedbank Cup – takes centre stage this week as teams look to secure their place in the last 16 of the tournament with a few potential shell-shocks on the cards.
Nedbank Cup
Round of 32 fixtures:
Wednesday, February 7th
Amazulu vs Mthatha Bucks
Ubuntu CT vs Polokwane City
Bidvest Wits vs CT City
Friday, February 9th
CT All Stars vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Saturday, February 10th
Phiva Young Stars vs Chippa United
Steenburg United vs Orbit College
Moroka Swallows vs Maritzburg United
Orlando Pirates vs Ajax Cape Town
Super Eagles vs Free State Stars
Sunday, February 11th
Bloem Celtic vs Supersport United Kaizer Chiefs vs Golden Arrows
Wednesday, February 14th
Richards Bay vs Young Tigers
Stellenbosch vs Highlands Park
Platinum Stars vs Baroka FC
Bidvest Wits vs Cape Town City
The defending 2016/17 ABSA Premiership champions, Bidvest Wits, will square up against Cape Town City for the fourth time this season in the pick of Wednesday’s matches. Former Chiefs and Pirates frontman Lehlohonolo Majoro scored in each of his last two run-outs on this ground, for City, in wins over the Clever Boys in the both league and MTN8 respectively this season, but now plies his trade for the Students and will be looking to get one over on his former employers by adding a goal to his tally, against them in the Nedbank Cup. Wits have won just once in seven outings against the Citizens, drawing two and losing four.
Cape Town All Stars vs Mamelodi Sundowns
One of many Western Cape sides in the competition, Cape Town All Stars, will be looking to pull off the first major upset of the round when they welcome South Africa’s most successful side, Mamelodi Sundowns, to the Mother City in Friday’s only fixture. 23-year-old striker Lucky Setelele represents All Stars best chance of doing just that. He has seven goals to his name thus far this campaign. Downs, on the other hand, will be hopeful summer signing Jeremy Brockie from neighbours Supersport will find his scoring boots sooner rather than later. He has failed to score in any of his last 14 matches including three for his new club.
Moroka Swallows vs Maritzburg United
What a fall from grace it has been for the Dube Birds. Winners of the Nedbank Cup as recently as nine years ago, Swallows now find themselves in the depths of the ABC Motsepe League and are in fact the lowest ranked side left in the competition. Craig Rosslee’s team currently sit sixth in the Gauteng stream ahead of their first meeting against Maritzburg United since the 2014/15 campaign, which proved to be Swallows last in the top flight. In 19 matches against them, Swallows have recorded 12 wins including a 2-0 victory in the quarter-finals on route to lifting the trophy in 2009.
Super Eagles vs Free State Stars
The Super Eagles, who in winning promotion to the National First Division back in June became the sole representative for the Free State in the second tier of South African football. Their reward for defeating fellow NFD outfit Black Leopards in the previous round is a home-tie and a local derby against the PSL’s very own Free State Stars on Saturday. Ea Lla Koto find themselves in third place only behind Cape Town City and Sundowns thanks to a run of five victories from their last seven matches which has included impressive consecutive wins over Pirates, Supersport, Wits and CT City all within the space of a month.
Bloemfontein Celtic vs Supersport United
The current holders of the cup, Supersport United, will face one-time winners of the competition, Bloemfontein Celtic, on Sunday in one of a trio of all ABSA Premiership match-ups. Matsatsantsa are looking to become only the second team in the tournaments history to make it a hat-trick of victories in 2018, having already hoisted the trophy aloft in 2016 and 2017 - (Orlando Pirates won three-in-a-row between 1973 and 1975). Supersport have lost just four times to Celtic, in 29 matches between the pair since 2004 and overturned them 4-2 as recently as Saturday for their first win over them in their last eight attempts.
Kaizer Chiefs vs Golden Arrows
The Glamour Boys need to add some serious shine back to their stumbling season. Steve Khompela’s men have won two of their five matches since returning from the festive break continuing to show the inconsistency that has plagued them for the entirety of the campaign and has seen Chiefs manage just seven wins from their 20 league matches and seven points adrift of leaders Sundowns. They remain the most successful cup side in the country having won the competition a record 13 times. Arrows have lost five of their last seven against Chiefs, with two draws coming in the two league matches between them this season.