A new round of the giant slaughtering act in Nedbank Cup

Another season of the giants slaughtering act is upon us following the Nedbank Cup draw which was conducted on January 12 at the Rivonia Road headquarters of the bank in Sandton.

January 17, 2023

Sipho Siso 3 minutes read

siso03NedbankCup202_63311 — Some of the players from the 32 teams which will take part in the Nedbank Cup tournament this year.

Mamelodi Sundowns begins its defence of the ‘giants’ slaying trophy’, the Nedbank Cup when they handed a tough assignment against the high-riding new boys on the block Richards Bay FC.

The Bay Boys are the ‘Makoti’ of the Premier Soccer League’s DStv Premiership after they got automatic promotion from the Motsepe Foundation Championship after emerging as the championship side of the National First Division League and arrived with a bang.

They currently occupy the second spot in the premiership standings and are 11 points behind leaders Masandawana who have amassed 40 points from 16 games and are in pole position to annex their sixth premiership trophy in a row.

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But the Bay Boys are no pushovers as they have brushed aside many a side in the premiership and will want to prove to the Yellow Machine, as Downs are also known to their avid followers, that their occupancy of the second spot in this highly competitive league was no fluke.

The Bay Boys’ clash with the premiership’s most dominant team for close to a decade now came via a draw from the hat on January 12 at the Rivonia Road headquarters of sponsors Nedbank.

This will kick off the round of 32 teams on a date yet to be announced for this cup that has become known as the ‘David versus Goliath Cup’ as it pits teams in premiership sides against eight minnows from the Motsepe Foundation Championship and another eight from the amateur ranks of the South African Football Association development leagues.

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In the past, Baroka FC, who has been drawn away to fellow championship side Cape Town Spurs, is fondly regarded as the ‘giant slaughterers’ after disposing of Kaizer Chiefs in the qualifying rounds for the finals of the tournament and they hope to repeat that feat.

Another giant-killing act against AmaKhosi Amahle was inflicted by then-minnows TS Galaxy playing in the championship division when they beat the much-fancied Glamour Boys of Soweto 1–0 in the final at KwaMhlanga in 2019.

“If history is anything to go by, we could be in line to see many giant killings as well this time around,” commented Ndebank’s group executive for group marketing and corporate affairs Khensani Nobanda during the draw.

The draw saw some exciting fixtures in what promises to be an entertaining Nedbank Cup this season. “We are excited to kick off the 16th edition of the Nedbank Cup, which has become a great feature on the South African knockout football calendar.

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“The 2023 season provides yet another opportunity for amateur teams to compete with the best in local football and showcase their talent. Our aim is to continue supporting the growth and development of local football.”

The league’s acting CEO Mato Madlalae said, “We are thrilled to welcome the eight clubs from the Safa divisions who will have a wonderful opportunity to compete against the 24 clubs from the professional ranks. We hope that they will add a new dimension to the competition.”

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Nedbank Cup round of 32 draw results are as follows: