ORLANDO Pirates, who are in need to salvage their poor season in the Premiership, will visit Free State in an all Premiership affair in the Nedbank Cup last 16 round.
Bucs weathered a heavy storm to defeat third tier side EC Bees 3-1 in the first round in the Eastern Cape. The Ke Yona Cup represents the last hope for the Buccaneers to win a piece of silverware this season.
Bucs defeated Ea Lla Koto at Goble Park in Bethlehem, Free State in the semifinal of the same competition. Under the guidance of their new Swedish coach, Kjell Jonevret, Bucs will visit the scene of their last four triumphs again this season with a quarterfinal place at stake this time.
The big guns managed to avoid each other, they were handed relatively easy draws. Chippa United will host unpredictable Polokwane City in Port Elizabeth in an all Premiership encounter.
SuperSport United won the tournament in 2016 after they defeated Pirates 3-2 in a five goal thriller at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. Safa regional league outfit from Kwa Dukuza coached by Thami Ngubane will host the holders SuperSport at home. Matsatsantsa a Pitori laboured to a 2-1 victory over National First Division side Royal Eagles, while Kwa Dukuza shocked Ajax Cape Town in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to set up a dream meeting with the defending champions. Stuart Baxter’s charges were given an easy draw on paper.
The games will be played from April 4-8. Kaizer Chiefs, the most successful team in the history of the competition, will visit one of the two remaining safa division sides, Arconbush at Ka Nyamazane Stadium.
The third division minnows stunned PSL campaigners Cape Town City 1-0 to earn the right to host Mzansi’s cup specialists. It’s the 10th edition of the biggest knockout cup competition on the African continent. SuperSport skipper Clayton Daniels said they won’t take the minnows for granted in their trip to Kwa Zulu Natal. Daniel said: “It’s tough they eliminated Ajax and we don’t want to become another PSL victim, we will take this game seriously.”
