Mouthwatering clashes in Nedbank Cup
JOBURG – The stage has been set for what could be an intriguing and exciting Nedbank Cup quarterfinal clash.
Nedbank Cup defending champions, SuperSport United have a mountain to climb as they seek to retain the country’s richest soccer trophy.
They were handed ‘a tall order’ kind of draw in the form of Soweto glamour boys, Kaizer Chiefs when the quarterfinal draw was conducted on 10 April at the MultiChoice studios in Randburg.
SuperSport currently lies fourth in the premiership standings with 37 points from 21 games just behind their Nedbank Cup opponents, who have accumulated 39 points but having played a game more than SuperSport.
The summit leadership, currently held by Cape Town City, keeps changing hands between three teams, City, SuperSport and Bidvest Wits, who are second on the log with 41 points from 20 games, with two games in hand on the log leaders.
Both SuperSport and Chiefs are on a high, with this encounter being dubbed a ‘final before the final’. Many soccer scribes believe whoever comes out of this one smoking could ultimately be the champions in waiting.
The other Soweto giants, the Mighty Buccaneers were handed a rather tricky but lame home encounter against Bloemfontein Celtic, who have been blowing hot and cold this season. Pirates, on the other hand, seem to have finally turned the corner and found their rhythm under new Swedish coach, Kjell Jonevret.
The Sea Robbers sailed past Free State Stars with a 4–1 win in the last 16 of the cup. With their confidence on a high, they are expected to make an easy meal of Siwelele and advance comfortably to the semis.
High riding Lamontville Golden Arrows, who beat African champions and Super Cup champions, Mamelodi Sundowns 1–0, seem set for an easy cruise to a semifinal spot against a struggling Platinum Stars, while the hard-to-predict match of the quarterfinals will be the clash between Chippa United and National First Division side, Jomo Cosmos.
Cosmos is the only side from the lower division to have made it this far in this season’s cup competition that has become famously known as the ‘David versus Goliath’ cup as it pits lower division teams against outfits in higher divisions.
Chippa is known for their exciting brand of non-stop attacking football and if they can apply that strategy on the day, they could upset Ezenkosi (The Kings), as Cosmos are affectionately known to their fans.
Ezenkosi Yami will not be easy meat on the day, as they upset the in-form team of the past two seasons, Bidvest Wits on penalties after they drew 1–1 in the last 16 round of the competition.
Read: SuperSport hope to make history in Nedbank Cup
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