Thanda welcomes Soweto giants
Orlando Pirates will play in their first Nedbank Cup match against Thanda.
Thanda Royal Zulu face a massive test in the Last 32 of the Nedbank Cup when they host Orlando Pirates at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex on Saturday February 22.
The kick-off is at 14:30.
The KwaZulu-Natal club have not participated in the Last 32 of the Nedbank Cup since 2010, when they reached the second round before being eliminated 4-1 by eventual champions Bidvest Wits. Since then they have fallen by the wayside in the preliminary rounds.
It has been a difficult league season so far for Amabhubesi, who find themselves near the bottom of the NFD standings and are battling against the prospect of relegation to the third tier of South African football, having been in the PSL as recently as 2008/09.
This home clash against former Nedbank Cup champions Orlando Pirates will give their fans something to eagerly look forward to after the struggle they have endured in the league in 2013/14.
Pirates will see the Nedbank Cup as their last realistic hope of winning silverware this season. The Buccaneers have excelled in cup competitions this season – reaching three successive finals toward the end of 2013 – but they lost in all of the decisive matches of the MTN8, CAF Champions League and Telkom Knockout.
Thanda and Pirates have met in two previous cup matches. Both were in the first round of the Telkom Knockout: in 2007/08 the teams played to a 1-1 draw before Amabhubesi advanced on penalties, while in 2008/09 the Buccaneers won 1-0 en route to the final.
Overall the teams have crossed swords in eight matches since 2006/07. The Pirates-team boasts five wins compared to two for Thanda. The lone draw was the cup clash won on penalties by the KZN side.
The teams’ last meeting was a league clash in the second half of the 2008/09 season when Bucs won 2-0 in KwaZulu-Natal thanks to goals from Teko Modise and Lucas Thwala.
