Third-tier sides FC Ravens and D’General will hope to complete the rarest of feats and book a quarterfinal place in the 2024 Nedbank Cup, something that has only been achieved by an ABC Motsepe League side three times before, though there have been some recent examples.
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Baroka FC went all the way to the semifinals in 2011, the furthest an amateur team has gone in the competition, and were unlucky to miss out on post-match penalties against Black Leopards in the last-4.
The minnows famously defeated Moroka Swallows and Kaizer Chiefs on their way to the semis.
Summerfield Dynamos are another third-tier side to make the quarterfinals and they achieved that feat in 2022.
They defeated second-tier Uthongathi and fellow ABC Motsepe League side Black Eagles along the way, before they were thumped 5-0 by Mamelodi Sundowns in the quarters.
The most recent instance was last season when Dondol Stars stunned SuperSport United and AmaZulu to reach the quarterfinals, where they were only beaten on penalties by Orlando Pirates.
D’General host 2019 Nedbank Cup winners TS Galaxy in the Last 16 on Sunday, and will hope that home advantage will help them cause a major upset.
FC Ravens must go to Chippa United on Saturday, a tough away day though they at least don’t have to travel far with this an Eastern Cape Derby for the teams from Gqeberha and Bizana.
Should both D’General and FC Ravens make it through to the quarterfinals, it will double the number of instances from the past.
But there are also three Motsepe Foundation Championship sides hoping to advance too.
Milford FC, who have already seen off Kaizer Chiefs this season, host topflight Stellenbosch FC on Friday, while Maritzburg United must go to Mamelodi Sundowns on Sunday. Hungry Lions also have a tough away day at Orlando Pirates a day earlier.
That means there could be as many as five teams from outside of the DStv Premiership that make the last-8, which would be a record.
There have only been two years of the Nedbank Cup where a side from outside the topflight has not made the quarterfinals – 2012 and 2016.
But, generally, the lower leagues have been well-represented. In 2008, there was an all-lower division match-up in the last eight with Mpumalanga Black Aces beating Nathi Lions and going on to the final, where they lost to Mamelodi Sundowns. FC Cape Town were the other team to make the quarterfinals that year.
In 2009, three non-DStv Premiership quarterfinalists also ensured one would make the final where University of Pretoria lost to Moroka Swallows. Black Leopards and Winners Park were the others.
In 2021 there were also three teams, all from the Motsepe Foundation Championship, in the form of Cape Town All Stars, Richards Bay and Pretoria Callies. The latter reached the semifinals.
That was repeated in 2022 when third-tier Summerfield Dynamos, and second-tier sides TTM and University of Pretoria, reached the quarterfinals. Only TTM advanced.