This emerged from the draw conducted at the Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, which provided some scintillating fixtures as defending champions Orlando Pirates were drawn to face SuperSport United.
Among the small teams guaranteed passage to the next round are two KwaZulu-Natal teams, Golden Arrows and Natal United which will play each other in a KZN derby, while little-known Vasco da Gama and Maluti FET College will face off.
One of either Kaizer Chiefs or Black Leopards will get through to the next round in a David versus Goliath fixture. Chiefs will need to be at their best to beat the menacing National First Division side from Limpopo, which reached the final of the cup in 2012.
Speaking to journalists after the draw, SuperSport United captain Clayton Daniels said, “It’s going to be a difficult game, but we have made a few signings to boost the team and they are doing well upfront for us, and hopefully we can go through.”
Orlando Pirates defender Ayanda Gcaba said playing SuperSport had always been a mountain to climb, but “we will be prepared and are looking forward to the challenge”. Gcaba said they would need to be at their best if they were to beat the rejuvenated United team.
Chiefs defender Morgan Gould admitted that coming out with a win against Leopards would not be easy. “Black Leopards play fast football with quick transition just like us,” Gould said. “So it will be a tough game. We’ve only lost one game [all season] but we need to roll up our sleeves and come out guns blazing.”
The full draw is as follows (home team first):
SuperSport United vs Orlando Pirates
Kaizer Chiefs vs Black Leopards
Platinum Stars vs Mamelodi Sundowns
Bidvest Wits vs University of Pretoria
Ajax Cape Town vs Bloemfontein Celtic
Vasco da Gama vs Maluti FET College
Lamontville Golden Arrows vs Natal United
Mpumalanga Black Aces vs Jomo Cosmos
Dates and venues will be announced after a meeting between the sponsors, Nedbank and the Premier Soccer League.
