Nyatama eager to impress in Nedbank Cup after Komphela exit

After taking over from Steve Komphela in the Moroka Swallows hot seat, coach Musa Nyatama hopes to guide the club in the right direction as the Dube Birds prepare to take on Motsepe Foundation Championship side Platinum City Rovers in a keenly anticipated Round of 32 clash at the Isak Steyl Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Kick-off is at 3:00pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Platinum City Rovers will be eager to impress in this year’s edition of the tournament, following their exit at the preliminary stage last time out where they suffered a 4-1 loss to Baroka FC at the Global Stadium on the 8th of January 2023.

As for Swallows, the Dube Birds failed to progress beyond the Round of 32 phase in the 2023 Nedbank Cup after their 3-0 loss against Stellenbosch at the Athlone Stadium on the 11th of February.  

Current form

Now under the tutelage of former Orlando Pirates speedster Tlou Segolela, who took charge of the club in December last year, Platinum City Rovers are currently sitting at the bottom of the Motsepe Foundation Championship table.

Over the course of their last five outings, which all took place in the league, Platinum City Rovers recorded two victories, two losses and one stalemate.

Swallows on the other hand are on a run of eight matches without a win, which includes a run of three consecutive defeats in their last three games in the DStv Premiership.

As it stands, Swallows are in 13th place, just six points behind Richards Bay FC who occupy the PSL relegation play-off position.

What was said…

“Sharing information with the young ones is very nice. So, I am enjoying the moment, but it’s a challenging one. It’s a very challenging one,” Segolela said on coaching Platinum City Rovers.

“You end up not having time for yourself. It’s match after match, and your concern is about players. But it’s a nice career that one will wish to continue with.  

“Personally, I think this is [the time to] prove myself, to say whether I’m prepared for this or not. But going forward, I want to help the team survive in the league and to do well in the Nedbank Cup,” Moroka Swallows coach Musa Nyatama said in preparation for the Nedbank Cup.

“We’ve been through this, even last season. It was not an easy task for us. But with the belief of the players and quality, it can actually take the club out of the situation.”

Players to watch:

Platinum City Rovers: Simphiwe Ndlovu – The 30-year-old is one of Platinum City Rovers top scorers this season, particularly in the Motsepe Foundation Champions with four efforts to his name. Swallows will no doubt keep a keen eye on the experienced campaigner, who has the ability to slot in various midfield positions.

Moroka Swallows: Gabadinho Mhango – While the former Orlando Pirates star struggled to kick into gear this season, Mhango remains one of the deadliest attackers in the PSL at the moment. The Malawian is known for being elusive in and around the 18-yard-area and will no doubt be one of Swallows main attackers this weekend.  

Head-to-head

This will be the first meeting between the two sides.