Top Teams Gunning for Glory in Nedbank Cup

2018/19 Nedbank Cup

Round of 32

Saturday, January 26^th

Chippa United vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Kick-off at 15:00 (3pm) CAT

Black Leopards vs Orlando Pirates
Kick-off at 18:00 (6pm) CAT

Cape Town City vs Supersport United
Kick-off at 20:15 (8:15pm) CAT

As South Africa gears up for the Round of 32 in the Nedbank Cup there are a trio of encounters on Saturday that has pitted six ABSA Premiership outfits against each other in their respective quests for crowning glory come the end of the season.

Chippa United welcome Mamelodi Sundowns to Nelson Mandela Bay before Black Leopards and Orlando Pirates lock horns at the Thohoyandou Stadium in Limpopo. The final monstrous match-up sees Cape Town City taking on Supersport United in the Mother City of Cape Town.
 
CHIPPA UNITED VS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS – NELSON MANDELA BAY STADIUM

Following the sacking of interim coach Joel Masutha Chippa United, a club that has seen 14 different managers pass through their doors in the space of just six-and-a-half years, moved swiftly to appoint Clinton Larsen as his successor. He began his life at the helm with a hugely important 2-0 win over bottom-club Maritzburg United – the Chilli Boys first league win from their last 11 attempts.



The Brazilian’s CAF Champions League commitments have seen the men in yellow play five matches already since the start of the calendar year, picking up four wins in the process. Their sole defeat to Lobi Stars has been followed up by victories in the ABSA Premiership over Maritzburg United and most recently Highlands Park respectively as well as an impressive 2-1 triumph over WAS Casablanca in the continental competition.

Chippa have only ever tasted success against Sundowns on one occasion, registering an historic win and knocking Bafana baStyle out of the Telkom Knockout Cup in the process last season, ending a run of eight winless matches against Pitso Mosimane’s men.

Sundowns won the corresponding league fixture back in October by a solitary goal, scored by Uruguayan midfielder Gatson Sirino as early as the 9^th minute.

BLACK LEOPARDS VS ORLANDO PIRATES – THOHOYANDOU STADIUM

Lidoda Dhuva are simply unstoppable at the minute having gone five matches unbeaten since losing 1-0 at home to the league leaders at the start of December. Tickets are reportedly SOLD OUT for this weekend’s crunch cup encounter at the Thohoyandou Stadium.



The Buccaneers have stalled somewhat since losing the Telkom Knockout final last month, winning just three of their eight matches in all competitions. Milutin Sredojevic’s side returned from a week of CAF duties by holding a stubborn Baroka outfit to a 1-1 stalemate at the Orlando Stadium – not the ideal preparation for what is expected to be a tough away test for the Soweto giants.

Black Leopards are seeking their first-ever victory, in what will be their sixth attempt, against the might of Pirates. They lost the corresponding league clash 2-1 in August in a match that will be remembered for Thamsanqa Gabuza’s bizarre sending off after he had a hand in putting the visitors ahead before Vincent Pule’s goal sealed all three points.

CAPE TOWN CITY VS SUPERSPORT UNITED – CAPE TOWN STADIUM

The Mother City is set to play host to arguably the tie of the Round of 32 in this season’s Nedbank Cup between the hosts Cape Town City who are unbeaten in their last five matches in South Africa’s top-flight and Supersport United who ended a three-match winless run by beating Bloem Celtic last time out. Benni McCarthy’s boys head into this meeting off the back of a hugely convincing 5-0 league drubbing of last season’s cup winners Free State Stars with Rolando Putsche and Gift Links netting two goals apiece.



Matsatsantsa have Bradley Grobler and Teboho Mokoena to thank for their goals either side of half-time helped Supersport to a well-deserved win. Kaitano Tembo’s men have really struggled for goals in recent weeks, scoring just seven in their last 11 appearances in all competitions and winning just two games in the process – a run which has seen them slip to seventh in the league standings, one point and two places behind City.

Since Cape Town City’s inception at the start of the 2016/17 season, Supersport have won just one of the six league meetings between the pair.

City are seeking a third successive win over the Swanky Boys having come out on top 1-0 when the duo faced-off earlier in the campaign courtesy of Gift Links’ 89^th minute winner.

Roland Putsche and Craig Martin slotted respective second-half goals to guide their side to a 2-0 win the last time they walked out at the Cape Town Stadium in August last year.


 
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