Chiefs aim to break cup drought

Chiefs aim to break cup drought

By Mark Gleeson

TAB is boosting a number of Soccer pools with a total of R1-million this weekend, and with the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals headlining the local action, bettors stand a good chance of winning big.

While Chippa United might be struggling in the league, they go into their quarter-final with an unblemished record at this stage of the competition.

But for other clubs still involved, it has often been a round that has brought disappointment.

Stellenbosch FC, Sekhukhune United and third-tier Dondol Stars will be appearing in the quarter-finals for the first time and will be hoping for a happy debut.

Chippa have certainly enjoyed themselves at this stage and there has been a symmetry to their previous appearances, which have come every two years since their first in 2017. They reached the quarter-finals again in 2019, 2021 and now, 2023.

Chippa host Sekhukhune United at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Sunday, followed by Royal AM against Kaizer Chiefs in Durban.

The cup actions kicks off on Saturday with giant-killers Dondol Stars hosting Orlando Pirates in Polokwane while Stellenbosch and Mamelodi Sundowns meet at the Athlone Stadium.

Quite remarkably, Sundowns have not lost a Nedbank Cup tie outright in over four years, since a surprise first round exit at the hands of Chippa in January 2019.

That is now a run of 16 games without defeat in 120 minutes, easily the longest by any club in the competition’s history.

The previous record-holders were SuperSport United, who went 10 games unbeaten on their way to back-to-back title wins in 2016 and 2017.

Sundowns did, of course, exit in the semi-finals in 2021 after losing a penalty shoot-out to eventual winners Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila, but as per FIFA regulations, that match is actually listed as a draw following their 0-0 stalemate.

For Chiefs, the cup is a chance to finally break the drought of eight seasons without a trophy but it has been a less successful time for them in the last eight, with four wins and three losses giving them a little over 50% success rate.

Included in there is the infamous 2-1 loss to third-tier Baroka FC in 2011 which remains one of the great shocks of South Africa football and the only time they have ever lost to a third-tier side.

Perhaps surprisingly, Pirates have only been to six quarterfinals since 2008, though they have gone on to make the final each time they have won.