Kwa-Zulu Natal teams didn’t have much luck in this year’s Nedbank Cup, with only Maritzburg United progressing to the Round of 16 from the top-flight teams. Real Kings followed suit from the GladAfrica Championship and the biggest surprises were ABC Motsepe side Happy Wanderers.
After making their debut in 2018, while still campaigning in the SAB League, the side from Margate returned with a bang in this edition after progressing to the next round when beating Zizwe United 1-0.
The South Coast team were handed a tough assignment when being drawn against GladAfrica Championship strugglers TS Sporting who are currently 13th on the table with 23 points after 21 games. The hosts will be hoping to join them next season as they currently occupy fourth in the KZN stream, eight points behind top-of-the-table side Mvoti United.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s crucial encounter, Happy Wanderers’ head coach Thulani ‘Coach Dutch’ Zaca praised his boys for the character they showed in the previous round.
“The spirit is very high in the camp after the positive results we got in Cape Town and the boys were also fantastic in the league over the weekend so the mood is great and we’re hoping for a good game,” added ‘coach Dutch’.
“I was happy we picked TS Sporting though I wasn’t worried even if we were drawn against a PSL team, I wouldn’t of bothered. I’m happy because I know their coach very well and we’ve faced each other a couple of times in the ABC Motsepe while he was still at Mvoti United. I know his style of play and what he demands from the players and he also knows me very well so it will be an interesting match on Saturday, ‘’ said the young tactician.
TS Galaxy did the unthinkable last season when they were the first-ever none Absa Premiership side to be crowned Nedbank Cup champions.
“It was important that a none PSL team win it and that will motivate everyone because now it’s easy to reference the players and tell them it’s possible. Yes, you do need some luck when playing against big teams, but luck is part of the game. So it’s something we will use to motivate our players so that they know everything is possible as long as it’s 11 against 11 any team can win,’’ Zaca concluded.
The match will be at Princess Magogo Stadium in Durban and kick-off is at 15:00. Tickets are available for R40 at TicketPro outlets.
Written by Banele Pikwa for Hollywoodbets
