History will be made this Saturday in the Free State as Tshakhuma take on Chippa United in the Nedbank Cup final.
Nedbank Cup final
Saturday 8 May
Free State Stadium
18:00
To Win (90 Mins)
Tshakhuma 17/10
Draw 19/10
Chippa United 17/10
Tshakhuma
It’s been a rollercoaster ride for Tshakhuma in their first season in the top flight. TTM have had plenty of ups and downs, making multiple headlines for the wrong reasons, particularly on how the club has been run this term.
Their off-field issues have resulted in a relegation battle where they are currently 15th, at the time of writing, before their encounter against Kaizer Chiefs in midweek.
Despite their struggles in the league campaign, Tshakhuma have overcome a much more difficult road to Free State Stadium, beating SuperSport United, Swallows, Black Leopards and Mamelodi Sundowns en route to the final.
Washington Arubi has been the shining light in goal for the Limpopo-based side, and if the 35-year-old shot-stopper can continue his impressive form, Tshakhuma will certainly get their hands on their first-ever piece of silverware.
Chippa United
At the time of writing, Chippa United are placed one position higher than Tshakhuma in the DStv Premiership and will be hoping to stay on top when they square off against the new boys from Limpopo.
The Chilli Boys have picked up a bit of form in recent weeks, keeping three successive clean sheets in the build-up leading to the biggest game of their season. Chippa have held Golden Arrows to a goalless draw, before beating Kaizer Chiefs and Stellenbosch by 1-0 scorelines.
On paper, Chippa will be favourites, simply because of their form and possessing all of the experience when it comes to top flight football. Despite this, Chippa are still in unfamiliar territory, being in their first-ever Cup final.
En route to the final, Chippa United have beaten Free State Stars and Cape Town City via penalties and extra-time respectively, while the Chilli Boys also managed to knock out Richards Bay and Pretoria Callies in the latter stages.
Prediction: Tshakhuma (17/10)
They may come into this tie as the minnows, but my money will definitely be on Tshakhuma to win the Nedbank Cup this Saturday. The Limpopo-based side have been the superior team in the competition thus far, and at 17/10, they should get over the finish line fairly comfortably.
