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14 January 2020
The Nedbank Cup Last 32 draw has thrown up some tasty ties that pit both the giants of the South African game against one another, and provides minnows with the chance to write their name in history. In Part 2 of our look at the 16 ties, we have a Tshwane Derby and plenty of other opportunities for giant-killing acts.
MBOMBELA UNITED VS CAPE TOWN CITY
Cape Town City will have the opportunity to avenge, in some way, arguably their most surprising defeat when they return to the Mpumalanga province to meet Mbombela United in the Nedbank Cup Last 32. City were enjoying an excellent maiden season in the Premier League after being formed in June 2016, when they debuted in the Nedbank Cup away at Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League side Acornbush United. The Mother City side were expected to advance with a routine win, but ended up losing 1-0 to the minnows, a result that will still sting. Mbombela are a division up in the GladAfrica Championship, but City will still be wary of another loss to lower league opposition from the province. It is also a change of pace for the Citizens – their run of Nedbank Cup matches since that loss to Acornbush? BidVest Wits, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United, Highlands Park and Kaizer Chiefs. It does not get much tougher than that.
BLACK LEOPARDS VS NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY
ABC Motsepe League side North West University will face a daunting task when they travel to Thohoyandou to meet Black Leopards in the Nedbank Cup Last 32, a team
with a strong record in the competition. Leopards were losing finalists in 2011 while still a second-tier side, and have been past the Last 32 in eight of their previous 10 visits to this stage of the competition. They have never lost to opposition in a league below them, so the university side have the opportunity to make some history. North West University has long produced top footballers for the South African game, including current Orlando Pirates star Xola Mlambo. The team is coached by Karabo Masehela, a former professional player with SuperSport United, University of Pretoria, Thanda Royal Zulu, FC Cape Town, as well as a youth player with Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He also led the side to the 2019 Varsity Football Championship title, where they defeated Tshwane University of Technology in the decider in what was something of an upset.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS SUPERSPORT UNITED
A Nedbank Cup tie to savour as the Tshwane giants clash it what should be an epic encounter between two of the top sides in the country. SuperSport were Nedbank Cup winners in 2012, 2016 and 2017, while Sundowns lifted the trophy in 2015. Both clubs will have set their eyes firmly on the prize this season, but one will have to face up to a first round exit. These teams will meet in a dress rehearsal on Saturday in a league clash, with recent matches having provided success for both sides. The previous seven matches since the start of the 2017/18 season have seen three wins for Sundowns, two for SuperSport and two draws. SuperSport have already knocked Sundowns out of the Top Eight competition this campaign.
KAIZER CHIEFS VS ROYAL EAGLES
Kaizer Chiefs were losing finalists in the Nedbank Cup last season as they went down to second-tier TS Galaxy, and will face opposition from that division again in Royal Eagles in this year’s Last 32. Chiefs will be heavy favourites, but have had a habit of losing to teams in divisions below them, having been ousted on five occasions since 2009, including to third-tier Baroka FC in 2011. Eagles have had a difficult season and sit bottom of the second-tier, but could spark a revival with a morale-boosting win over the Soweto giants.
HIGHLANDS PARK VS UTHONGATHI
Uthongathi have been flying high in the GladAfrica Championship this season and will be making their debut in the Nedbank Cup Last 32, coming up against a tough and organised Highlands Park side. Highlands have already reached a cup final this campaign but lost the Top Eight decider to SuperSport United. They will see this as an opportunity to advance to the next stage. This will be Highlands’ fifth appearance in the Last 32 and they have only advanced one - in 2019 - when they beat AmaZulu on penalties. Given that the game ended 1-1, they have actually yet to win a Nedbank Cup fixture, with a draw and four defeats in their five previous games.
PASSION FC VS REAL KINGS
Passion FC from the Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League style themselves on English giants Manchester City with their light blue kit and similar badge, and they will hope to show their quality against second-tier Real Kings. The dream might have been to draw one of the giants of the local game, but this perhaps gives them a greater chance to advance to the next stage. This will be history for both clubs as neither have ever played at this level before, giving the opportunity to one of them to claim a first win. Kings are fourth in the GladAfrica Championship having won five of their last six games, with the other drawn.
AJAX CAPE TOWN VS TS SPORTING
Ajax Cape Town were finalists in the Nedbank Cup in 2015 before an agonising penalty shoot-out loss to Mamelodi Sundowns following a 0-0 draw in Port Elizabeth. Their stock has fallen sharply since then with relegation to the GladAfrica Championship, but they are having a fine campaign in 2019/20 and are on course for promotion once again. They meet a fellow second-tier side in TS Sporting, though they are at the opposite end of the table. These two sides will ironically meet away on Wednesday in what will be a dress rehearsal for both teams ahead of their cup clash. Ajax have won the last two meetings between the clubs, including a 3-2 away success in October, but TS Sporting claimed victory in their home league game last season, winning 1-0.
JOMO COSMOS VS HUNGRY LIONS
Second-tier Jomo Cosmos will take on Northern Cape ABC Motsepe League side Hungry Lions in their Last 32 clash and will be wary of their unknown opponents. Cosmos have made at least the second round in all eight previous Nedbank Cup seasons that they have competed in, twice going as far as the quarterfinals (2012 and 2017). They have only once gone out to teams a division below them in that time, when they succumbed to a penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Nathi Lions in 2008 following a 0-0 draw. Their record is fairly symmetrical down the years with six wins, six draws and six losses, and 17 goals scored and 15 conceded.
*The views represented are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of Nedbank.