No More Than Nine DStv Premiership sides will be in the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup, and that number could be seven, with two ‘David-vs-Goliath’ games still to play.
Five DStv Premiership sides are already in the round of 16, while three GladAfrica Championship sides and one ABC Motsepe team have made it so far.
In nine fixtures, we’ve already seen three upsets, with AmaTuks beating Chippa United, while Tshakhuma knocked out Golden Arrows and yesterday ABC Motsepe outfit Summerfield Dynamos beat GladAfrica’s Uthongathi.
Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United and Baroka beat fellow top flight opponents AmaZulu, Maritzburg United and Stellenbosch, respectively.
Mamelodi Sundowns beat GladAfrica’s Richards Bay, Swallows beat TS Sporting, also from the GladAfrica, and GladAfrica’s Venda Football Academy beat Gauteng ABC Motsepe side African All Stars.
Today at least two more DStv Premiership sides will qualify. Royal AM take on Cape Town City, while Kaizer Chiefs host TS Galaxy. Sekhukhune United could also qualify, but will have to get past GladAfrica side Platinum City Rovers. Another GladAfrica team, Free State Stars, could also get through, they face Eastern Cape ABC side Sinenkani. At least one ABC team will definitely qualify for the last 16 on Saturday as well as the Northern Cape’s NC Pros host the Free State’s Mathaithai.
Sunday will see another guaranteed spot for an ABC Motsepe side as North West’s Black Eagles host Mpumalanga’s Sivutsa FC. And another ABC team could book a spot, but the Western Cape’s Santos, a former Premiership champion in their ‘hey-day’, will have to win away against a top flight side and last season’s champions, Marumo Gallants (who were known as Tshakhuma last season, and are not to be confused with the GladAfrica team who has already qualified).
Qualified:
Mamelodi Sundowns
Swallows FC
Orlando Pirates
SuperSport United
Baroka
AmaTuks
Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila
Venda Football Academy
Summerfield Dynamos
