The Magic FC players celebrate after winning on penalties during the Nedbank Cup Last 32 match between Maccabi FC and The Magic FC 29 January 2019 at Dobsonville Stadium Pic Sydney Mahlangu/ BackpagePix
The Magic FC, the only side from the Safa amateur structures that is still in the Nedbank Cup, will make a trip along the coast to Port Elizabeth on Sunday to write a rich chapter in their football history when they take on Soweto giants, Kaizer Chiefs.
The Magic, together with a number of clubs from the National First Division that are still in the competition, will be looking to make an upset this weekend.
While the odds might be stuck against The Magic, they have the strong wind behind them as football gods at times roll the dice in favour of “David” when they are faced with a “Goliath”. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be unfamiliar territory as well – a move necessitated by the unavailability of grounds in their base Cape Town – they, however, have a number of motivating factors behind them. The talk in their social media platforms has been about the thrill of playing at a World Cup stadium – that in itself a first for them.
At the same stadium, Nelson Mandela Bay, on Saturday, Tshakhuma FC will play Chippa United at 3pm. Tshakhuma FC eliminated Polokwane City in the round of 32 away from home.
In Witbank, Shakes Mashaba’s Witbank Spurs will be hosting top-flight side Golden Arrows in another David vs Goliath clash. The latter are making their second visit to Mpumalanga – in the round of 32, they faced Tjakastad Junior Sheperd in the same province.
Another appetising encounter will see Richards Bay travel to the Free State again but this time to play Bloemfontein Celtic. They are riding a strong wave, having knocked out current champions Free State Stars in their backyard in the round of 32.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.