Big guns kept apart: Tasty ties headline Nedbank Cup Last 16 draw

The Nedbank Cup Last 16 draw has been made and the so-called ‘Big Three’ have been kept apart as all were drawn at home and will hope to advance.

But there is plenty of potential for upsets, including one David v Goliath clash. Here is a quick guide to the games.

DURBAN CITY V TS GALAXY

Galaxy easily dispatched CR Vasco da Gama 7-0 in the Last 32 for the biggest win in the club’s history, but this will be a sterner challenge against the 2018 finalists formerly known as Maritzburg United.

Durban City are flying high in the Motsepe Foundation Championship and are one of the favourites for promotion to the PSL, with a solid coach in Simo Dladla. There have been six previous meetings between the sides, all topflight matches, with City leading the head-to-head 3-2. But both of Galaxy’s wins came in KwaZulu too, which is an anomaly given what poor travelers they have generally been.

ORLANDO PIRATES V BAROKA

Pirates host a team with a special Nedbank Cup history in Baroka FC as they seek an unprecedented third Nedbank Cup title in a row and coach Jose Riveiro seeks to extend his 11-match unbeaten run in the competition.

Baroka are the only club in history to reach the Nedbank Cup semifinals as a third, second and first-tier team, and defeated Pirates in penalties in the decider of the 2018 Telkom Knockout, one of South African football’s great final upsets. Incredibly, 10 of their 13 previous meetings have been drawn, including seven of the last eight. Baroka have never beaten Pirates outright.

KAIZER CHIEFS V CHIPPA UNITED

Chiefs will be relieved to have been draw at home as they seek a first trophy of any kind since 2015, and a first win in the Nedbank Cup in 13 years. But Chippa will be no pushovers, there is a steel about the Eastern Cape side this season and this should be a closely fought contest.

Chiefs won 1-0nat home when these teams met in December as Mdu Shabalala got the winner but have lost four and drawn two of their previous 12 home clashes with the Chilli Boyz, which means they have won half the time. The sides met in the Nedbank Cup semifinals in 2019 as Chiefs won 4-2 away from home. Overall, they lead the head-to-head 14-8 with three draws.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS V MPHENI HOME DEFENDERS

Sundowns have drawn third-tier opponents for the second round in a row having dispatched Sibanye Golden Stars 5-2 in the previous stage. Limpopo side Home Defenders beat second-tier Hungry Lions 3-1 at home and would have loved nothing more than to take Sundowns to the Thohoyandou Stadium.

Sundowns have won outright in 21 of their 22 matches against teams from outside the Premiership since 2008, the only anomaly a penalty shoot-out victory over University of Pretoria last year. That game ended 1-1.

We're all set for the Round of 16 for the #NedbankCup ✅

Here are the fixtures ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/YLoTcgW1b0

— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) January 29, 2025

MARUMO GALLANTS V AMAZULU

An all-Premiership clash as 2021 winners Gallants host an AmaZulu side who have been to six previous finals in the Nedbank Cup competition and never won. Gallants are turning their new home in Bloemfontein into something of a fortress with their only defeat there in their last eight games a 2-0 reversal against Sundowns.

Usuthu, once poor travelers, have won three of their last four away games though. Gallants won 1-0 at home when the sides met in the league in September as Daniel Msendami scored after three minutes.

ROYAL AM/MILFORD V SEKHUKHUNE UNITED

Royal AM’s participation in their Last 32 tie against Milford FC remains uncertain but whoever reached the next stage will host Sekhukhune United. The latter were finalists two years ago but lost to a last-gasp winner from Pirates, and breezed past Cape Town City 2-0 in the last round. They have won their last two penalty shoot-outs in the competition if it goes that way, at Stellenbosch FC in 2023 and third-tier Highlands Park in 2024.

STELLENBOSCH FC V POLOKWANE CITY

Stellenbosch FC have made the Nedbank Cup semifinals in the last two seasons but were made to sweat in the previous round as they came from behind to defeat second-tier Kruger United. Polokwane City were also not all that convincing against third-tier The Bees as they won 1-0 at home.

The last time these sides met in the Winelands, Iqraam Rayners scored all five goals as Stellies ran out 5-0 winners, but he has since joined Sundowns. They drew 1-1 in the league in Limpopo in September. Overall, Stellies lead the head-to-head 4-1 with one draw.

SUPERSPORT UNITED V CAPE TOWN SPURS

SuperSport seem to have found some spark in front of goals with a raft of new attacking options into the team, though they will come up against a stubborn Spurs side that is difficult to break down under coach Ernst Middendorp.

SuperSport have dominated this tie of late, winning five of the last six meetings to go with a single draw. Their last clash in the Nedbank Cup was in 2015 when Spurs, then known as Ajax Cape Town, edged a thrilling semifinal 2-1. This is a battle between two pragmatic coaches and it might not be pretty.