Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena reacts to the Nedbank Cup Last Eight draw and he is delighted. The Nedbank Cup round of 16 was completed last weekend and it sees big guns, SuperSport United, Sundowns, Orlando Pirates, and Stellenbosch into the next stage.
Looking at the other teams in the next round: the University of Pretoria, AmaZulu, and Chippa United will meet TS Galaxy. Meanwhile, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is yet to announce the dates and venues of the eagerly anticipated Nedbank Cup Last Eight fixtures.
Nedbank Cup Last Eight Draw
Sundowns vs. AmaTuks
Fresh from a 1-all draw against SuperSport United in a Tshwane Derby last week, Sundowns will be involved in another one against AmaTuks. After beating Maritzburg United 2-0 and their neighbours beating Moroka Swallows, the two Tshwane sides are set to renew their rivalry.
Speaking after the draw, Masandawana mentor, Mokwena says he is happy because his men will not travel for the Nedbank Cup contest.
“We are pleasantly happy with that draw because it minimizes a lot of traveling. For them to be still in the competition as one of the only lower-ranked teams already speaks of their quality,” Mokwena told SuperSport TV about the Nedbank Cup draw.
“I had an opportunity to watch their game against Moroka Swallows and they were very competitive. They have some good players and some come from our youth structures and so we have a lot of preparation to do. We saw against Maritzburg United how difficult it is to play the NFD sides.”
Nedbank Cup Last Eight Draw:
Orlando Pirates vs AmaZulu
In this encounter, the defending Nedbank champions, Pirates will meet Usuthu as they both target a spot in the semis. At the same time, the two DStv Premiership sides will want to return to Caf football. There’s no doubt that this match will have sparks flying as the two teams are coached by Spanish mentors, Riveiro and Pablo Franco.
The Spaniard who also guided the Buccaneers to two MTN8 titles, Riveiro says they face a tough challenge against the Durban-based AmaZulu in the Nedbank Cup. “We know the difficulty of the task but at the same time, Durban is a place that used to accommodate us very well and we have had a lot of Pirates fans there. I am happy with the draw and the fans are going to come in numbers to support us,” Riveiro told SuperSport TV.
“I know it is going to be difficult because AmaZulu are organized and difficult to deal with but we are going to prepare ourselves as well as possible and try to display a good performance.”
Nedbank Cup Last Eight Draw:
SuperSport vs Stellenbosch
Dubbed as two loyal friends in the South African top flight, Gavin Hunt will now set aside his friendship with his counterpart, Steve Barker. In his reaction to the Ke Yona Last Eight draw, Hunt says the current Carling Knockout title holders, will be a tough assignment as they chase a double under Barker.
“We could have drawn anybody and it was going to be a tough game because when you get to this stage everyone is tough,” Hunt told SuperSport TV. “On the day of the match, I think anyone can beat anyone. We are quite used to playing away but it won’t be easy because we know that they are very difficult to beat in Stellenbosch.”
Nedbank Cup Last Eight Full Draw:
- University of Pretoria vs Mamelodi Sundowns
- SuperSport United vs Stellenbosch
- AmaZulu vs Orlando Pirates
- TS Galaxy vs Chippa United
Related: Pirates’ Mofokeng & SuperSport’s Campbell Impress Coach Hugo Broos
