Nedbank Cup last 16 line-up to bet settled this weekend

by Graeme Jackson

Friday Feb 11, 2022. 10:00

The last 16 line-up for South Africa’s Nedbank Cup will be settled this weekend when nine matches are played around the country from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 February 2022.

Seven clubs – including the likes of Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundown and Swallows FC – have already advanced into the next round within the past week, leaving the spotlight to fall on Kaizer Chiefs taking on TS Galaxy in a repeat of the famous 2019 final – they will meet at FNB Stadium on Saturday evening.

Three years ago it was the Rockets who shocked the Amakhosi 1-0 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban to become the first club from the second tier to win the Nedbank Cup.

This time around, with both teams in the top-flight DStv Premiership, Chiefs will be looking for revenge and the chance to keep their trophy hopes for the season alive. The Soweto giants have not won a piece of silverware since claiming the league title in 2015.

“Silverware is the standard that we live by as coaches,” Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter admitted. “We can play good football and we can have big reputations but that doesn’t count for very much if you lose.”

The weekend’s action opens on Friday with lower league side Summerfield Dynamos hoping to upset second-tier Uthongathi FC at the Princess Magogo Stadium, followed by an all-Premiership clash between Stellenbosch FC and Baroka FC.

Saturday, aside from the Chiefs v Rockets clash, also features a top-flight battle between Royal AM and Cape Town City, minnows NC Pro’s and Mathaithai will meet in Kimberley, Sekhukhune United will target an away win at Platinum City Rovers, and Free State Stars will hope they are not taught a lesson at the Walter Sisulu University Stadium by lower-league hopefuls Sinenkani.

Sunday sees Black Eagles and Sivutsa meet at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, but most focus will fall on Santos FC when they visit Marumo Gallants at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

Santos were once a huge name in South African football (they are two-time National Cup champions and won the league championship in 2002) but the past decade has seen them slump to the third-tier ABC Motsepe League.

For this clash, they are hoping that their high-energy style of play causes major problems for Gallants, who – as the club formed out of last season’s Nedbank Cup winners, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila – are technically the defending champions of this competition, though not strictly in name.

“Football in the ABC Motsepe League is so fast that PSL teams, used to playing with all the time in the world, will struggle against us,” said People’s Team coach Abduragman Jacobs.

The nine winners will advance into the draw for the last 16, which will be held after the matches on Sunday.

Nedbank Cup fixtures

All times CAT

Friday 11 February

15:00: Uthongathi FC v Summerfield Dynamos

18:00: Stellenbosch FC v Baroka FC

Saturday 12 February

15:00: NC Pro’s v Mathaithai

15:00: Platinum City Rovers v Sekhukhune United

15:00: Royal AM v Cape Town City

15:00: Sinenkani v Free State Stars

18:00: Kaizer Chiefs v TS Galaxy

Sunday 13 February

15:00: Marumo Gallants v Santos FC

15:00: Black Eagles v Sivutsa