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11 February 2020
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane had spoken of his desire to get a lower league side in the Last 16 of the Nedbank Cup and his desire came true as The Brazilians were paired with fourth-tier Vaal University of Technology (VUT). VUT are the lowest ranked side in the competition, and come up against the most successful South African club of the last decade in what is a David vs Goliath match-up if ever there was one. VUT have already knocked Lamontville Golden Arrows out of the competition though, and so Sundowns will have to be wary", as Mosimane admits. "We got VUT, we have been asking for a team at a lower level and we got it, but you need to be careful what you ask for," Mosimane says.
“You can get a shock of your life, they are there and if they can eliminate Golden Arrows, it means they are a good team. As much as we think we have a relief, we must be careful about teams from the lower leagues."
Mosimane’s desire for a lower league side could be borne out in Sundowns' impeccable Nedbank Cup record against sides from outside the Premier league.
They have played 12 times against such sides since 2008 and won all 12 games, scoring a massive 46 goals and conceding only four. That is a statistic skewed by their most famous win, a 24-0 defeat handed out to Northern Cape ABC Motsepe League side Powerlines FC in 2012, but it is impressive all the same. They also have a recent history against a SAB Regional League side when they beat Mariveni United 2-0 in the 2017 Nedbank Cup, a game that was by no means easy as Leonardo Castro and Anthony Laffor scored second half goals. Sundowns have also won a final beating a lower league team when they defeated Mpumalanga Black Aces 1-0 in the 2008 decider, Lerato Chabangu scoring late on to seal the trophy win.
*The views represented are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of Nedbank.