Minnows await their fate in Nedbank Cup Last 32 draw

The Nedbank Cup Last 32 draw will take place on Thursday evening when the eight amateur sides taking part in this year’s competition will dream of a plum fixture against one of the country’s elite sides.

Mamelodi Sundowns are the holders after their 2-1 extra-time victory in last year’s competition against Marumo Gallants, who had lifted the trophy in 2021 under the guise of TTM.

The competition features all 16 clubs from the DStv Premiership, eight from the Motsepe Foundation Championship, who have been through a playoff to reach this stage, and those eight sides from the SAFA structures.

The lowest ranked team in this year’s competition is fourth-tier side Liver Brothers from the SAFA Ehlanzeni region in Mpumalanga.

The club is based in based in Kildare in the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality and unveiled coach Magic Nyalungu as the start of this season in the hope that he will guide them to promotion and a run in the Nedbank Cup.

Liver Brothers are hugely popular in the local community and have been in existence since the 1960s, without making it to the professional ranks, but are keen to change that under current president Pat Khumalo.

They will hope to emulate Vaal University of Technology, who became the first fourth-tier side to advance past Premiership opposition when they ousted Lamontville Golden Arrows from the Last 32 on penalties in 2020.

The only one of the SAFA teams who have reached this stage before are Eastern Cape ABC Motsepe League side Amavarara.

Two years ago they defeated Free State outfit Super Eagles 2-1 in the Last 32, before losing to former Nedbank Cup finalists Black Leopards 2-0 in the second round.

Western Cape ABC Motsepe League side Clarewood are a new name in South African football but are making great strides having recently signed a partnership with Turkish topflight outfit Antalyaspor.

There are some familiar names involved in the team, including club president Justin Paulsen, technical advisor Bevan Dicks and general manager Bevan Fransch, a former professional player. They will change their name to Cape Town Antalyaspor in due course.

Gauteng ABC Motsepe League side Dondol Stars were formed in 2014 when their current owners purchased the fourth-tier status of Bronkhorstspruit-based MSD Devoted Angels.

At the turn of the year they had a massive nine-point lead at the top of the table, suffering just a single defeat, so are looking good for the promotion playoffs.

Free State ABC Motsepe League side FC Blackcross will make their debut in the Nedbank Cup this year having been among the first of the SAFA teams to qualify in this edition.

They play their home games at the Kaizer Sebothelo Stadium in Botshabelo, which was for some time the town where Free State Stars played their home matches before the club ceased to exist at the end of last season.

It means FC Blackcross are the only side from the Free State province in this year’s Nedbank Cup and they will proudly fly the flag for the province.

KwaZulu-Natal ABC Motsepe League outfit Mkhambathi FC from Pietermaritzburg turned the year in third in their division, keeping them among the promotion hunt, but will also be eager to spring a surprise in the Nedbank Cup.

Mpheni Home Defenders hail from Limpopo and were due to feature in the ABC Motsepe League national play-offs last season but were eventually barred for allegedly fielding an ineligible player.

They had won seven out of seven league games by the turn of the year in a stunning start to the new season that further enhances their reputation.

Tornado FC hail from Upington in the Northern Cape and should not be confused with the club from the Eastern Cape of the same name that competed in 2015 and 2019.

Known as ‘Die Wind’, the club have spent more than a decade in the third tier and will hope to show the continued improvement of lower league teams from the Northern Cape in the Nedbank Cup.

Many are compared to fourth-tier Powerlines FC, who were thumped 24-0 by Mamelodi Sundowns in 2012, but the truth is clubs from the province have been much more competitive in recent years.