The preliminary round of the 2023 Nedbank Cup will be staged this weekend, where the 16 Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) clubs will be whittled down to eight to be entered into the Last 32 draw.
The sides will do battle from Friday through to Sunday and aim to emulate then second-tier TS Galaxy, who went all the way to the title in 2019 as they defeated mighty Kaizer Chiefs in the final.
Here is a quick guide to the eight preliminary round games.
ALL STARS VS TTM
This is not the same TTM who lifted the Nedbank Cup trophy in 2021, that version of the club is now called Marumo Gallants in a move that will confuse South African football historians for ever more.
But in a quirk of fate, the new TTM did face the old TTM (Gallants) in the semifinals of last year’s competition, losing out to the top-tier side.
All Stars are also a new team out of the ashes of Cape Town All Stars, and they sit eight in the MFC table, one place ahead of TTM. The teams have yet to meet in the league this season.
LA MASIA VS MAGESI FC
A battle between two sides who were promoted from the third-tier at the end of last season, they are both in the bottom half of the table so far this campaign.
Magesi have just appointed the experienced Clinton Larsen as their new coach after he took third-tier Summerfield Dynamos all the way to the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals last season.
They have also yet to meet in the league this season, but La Masia won the promotion play-off final between the pair 1-0 in July.
Magesi previously competed in the 2013 and 2016 Nedbank Cup.
CAPE TOWN SPURS VS UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
Both these teams have been finalists in the Nedbank Cup before, University of Pretoria losing the 2009 decider to Moroka Swallows when they campaigned as a second-tier side.
Spurs won the competition in 1995 under their current name, but also in 2007 as Ajax Cape Town during a joint venture with Ajax Amsterdam which has since collapsed.
AmaTuks have not won away at Spurs since 2012, but did claim a 3-2 home win in the league in September. They are, however, winless in their last six games (D4 L2).
BLACK LEOPARDS VS POLOKWANE CITY
A Limpopo derby between two sides at opposite ends of the second-tier table, with City topping the league and Leopards hovering just above the relegation zone.
City have played already this week as they were held to a 0-0 draw in the league by a other Limpopo outfit, Baroka FC, while for Leopards this will be a first game since November 12.
City have traditionally had the better of clashes between these sides with seven wins to four in the head-to-head (D3) and have already completed a comprehensive 3-0 home win in the league this season.
PRETORIA CALLIES VS JDR STARS
Callies are bottom of the MFC and in desperate need of a confidence booster, which this fixture could supply against high-flying Stars.
They have won only two matches all season, though one of those did come directly before the break for the World Cup. They have also appointed veteran Zambian forward Collins Mbesuma to their technical team to help the strikers.
The only draw between the sides came in the 2021 Nedbank Cup when they played to a 0-0 stalemate. There have otherwise been two wins apiece.
HUNGRY LIONS VS VENDA FC
Two sides with contrasting fortunes this campaign, Lions are in third place in the league and very much in the promotion hunt, while Venda sit second bottom and in danger of the drop.
Neither has made a big impact on the Nedbank Cup before, so this is a chance to get into the main draw and take on a big name to earn a famous scalp.
Venda recently appointed former Richards Bay and Swallows FC coach Simo Dladla as their new tactician, tasked with changing their fortunes.
Lions claimed a 2-0 home win when these teams met in the league in October, but Venda won both matches 1-0 last season.
BAROKA FC VS PLATINUM CITY ROVERS
Baroka have found it a tough adjustment to the MFC following their relegation last season and are winless in their last five games (D2 L3).
By contrast, the world Cup break came at the wrong time for City Rovers as they were on a run of three successive victories that lifted them out of the relegation mire. All of those wins were by 1-0 scorelines.
In fact, the last time they conceded was in a 2-1 league loss at Baroka in October! That was six games ago.
UTHONGATHI VS CASRIC STARS
Casric Stars are the team born out of the ashes of Free State Stars and are led by coach Paulus Masehe, who as a player took the latter to Nedbank Cup glory in 2018.
Uthongathi are no strangers to the Last 32 but have yet to really make their mark on the competition, though they might feel this is their opportunity.
Stars were in excellent form in the run-up to the World Cup break though with six wins in eight games (L2) to climb up to second in the table, just three points behind leaders Polokwane City.
Uthongathi’s form has been patchier with two wins, two draws and two losses in their last six games. Stars won 1-0 when the teams met in the league in October.