PREVIEW: High-flying Sekhukhune United to face AmaZulu in Nedbank Cup quarter-final shootout

Last season’s losing finalists needed penalties to see off Highlands Park in their Nedbank Cup Round of 32 encounter as Usuthu edged Royal AM 1-0 in their first-round tie.

Under new head coach Lehlohonolo Seema, Sekhukhune have enjoyed an excellent run of form, and currently occupy sixth place in the DStv Premiership standings – although he was unable to rescue their CAF Confederation Cup campaign as they exited in the group stages.

They last faced Moroka Swallows in the league, comprehensively winning the tie by four goals to one.

Ususthu boss Pablo Franco Martin has, meanwhile, endured a mixed bag of results this season.

The Spainiard’s team are currently in 11th place on the league standings, and unbeaten in their last two ties, drawing 1-1 with both Swallows and SuperSport United.

In the lead up to this cup clash, Seema played down his club’s improved form, while Martin is hopeful of a double over Sekhukhune, having won 1-0 in the league in December.

“There is a lot of work that we still need to do. We can’t say we are flying high, never. We need to fight and we are looking forward to the next game,” Seema said.”

While, Martin has overseen eight wins from his 24 matches in charge of AmaZulu, in all competitions, drawing nine and losing seven.

“This is football, pressure is for the people who don’t have the opportunity to feed their children or the ones who are fighting in a war,” Martin said.

“In the end, this is an amazing job, we’re doing everything we can.

“We’re trying to improve what we did in the first half of the season but the improvements are just coming from the technical staff and the players themselves [not head coach alone].

“This is a matter of responsibility and we have to share the responsibility. We need to do better, we can do better. We need to keep growing, that’s for sure.”