PIC: Daniel Cardoso of Sekhukhune United during their historic 6-0 victory over Liver Brothers.

Fast Facts Friday – trivia on the remaining Nedbank Cup teams

We have seen one Nedbank Cup Last 16 match played as Mamelodi Sundowns ousted Marumo Gallants on Thursday, but there are seven more to come next week as the line-up for the quarterfinals takes shape.
Here are some fast facts on the other 14 sides that have still to play at this stage of the competition. 

AMAZULU

AmaZulu face giant-killers Dondol Stars from the ABC Motsepe League in the Last 16. They have lost to third-tier opposition before having been beaten 2-1 by Tembu Royals in the Last 32 of the Nedbank Cup in 2013. They have three defeats in all to lower league teams.

CAPE TOWN SPURS
Spurs have not won an away match in the Nedbank Cup outright since they thumped Northern Cape minnows Mainstay United 9-1 in 2015. They reached the final that year as Ajax Cape Town but lost on penalties to Mamelodi Sundowns. They are away at Sekhukhune United in this season’s Last 16.

CASRIC STARS

Casric Stars are coached by Bucks Mthombeni, who is also the club owner. He is doing his coaching badges along with assistant Paulus Masehe, who won the Nedbank Cup as a player with Free State Stars in 2018. 

CHIPPA UNITED

Chippa United’s top-scorer in the Nedbank Cup is stalwart forward Andile Mbenyane with six goals. He has been with the club since they were formed in 2010 and played in squads that reached the Nedbank Cup final in 2021, and the semifinals in 2017 and 2019.

DONDOL STARS

Dondol Stars goalkeeper Sphamandla Gumede was a junior with SuperSport United but did not make the grade at the club. He then played a huge role in ousting them from the 2023 Nedbank Cup in the Last 32.

KAIZER CHIEFS
Chiefs will host second-tier Casric Stars in the Last 16. The AmaKhosi have been ousted from the Nedbank Cup on six occasions by lower league opponents since 2008, more than any other side, including losing the 2019 final to TS Galaxy.

LAMONTVILLE GOLDEN ARROWS
Golden Arrows have a strong record against KwaZulu-Natal rivals in the Nedbank Cup as they prepare to face Royal AM in the Last 16. They are unbeaten against teams from the province in the last 11 years, since a 1-0 defeat to Maritzburg United in 2011. They have wins over AmaZulu (2-1), Natal United (1-0), Milford (2-1), Maritzburg (3-1), and another draw with AmaZulu (1-1) since then.

MPHENI HOME DEFENDERS

Mpheni Home Defenders are seeking to become just the third side from the ABC Motsepe League to reach the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup after Baroka FC (2011) and Summerfield Dynamos (2022). They are away at Chippa United in the Last 16.  

ORLANDO PIRATES

Orlando Pirates take on Venda Football Academy in the Last 16. They have met Limpopo opposition three times in the Nedbank Cup since 2008 and have certainly not had it their own way. They beat Black Leopards 3-1 in the final in 2011 but were ousted by the same opponents in a penalty shoot-out in 2019, and then by Marumo Gallants via spot-kicks three years later.

ROYAL AM

Current Royal AM coach John Maduka took Bloemfontein Celtic to the final of the Nedbank Cup in 2020, where they lost 1-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns. That match was played in the Gauteng bio-bubble without fans. Royal AM purchased the topflight status of Celtic in August 2021. 

SEKHUKHUNE UNITED

Sekhukhune United’s 6-0 win over Liver Brothers in the Last 32 is not only the biggest win in the competition this season, but also a record victory for the club in all competitions. Their previous biggest wins were 4-0 against Royal AM and Baroka FC. 

STELLENBOSCH FC
Stellenbosch FC have only ever played topflight opponents in the Nedbank Cup. All seven previous games have been against teams from the DStv Premiership, and they will face that prospect again when they tackle TS Galaxy in the Last 16. 

TS GALAXY
Galaxy will be playing at home against Stellenbosch FC in the Last 16 for the third time in a row and have never been beaten outright on their own patch (W1 D2). Before that, seven of their previous eight games in the competition had been away, including all five fixtures on their way to lifting the trophy as a second-tier side in 2019.  

VENDA FOOTBALL ACADEMY

Venda Football Academy have veteran forward Rhulani Manzini in their squad. He has scored for four different clubs in the Nedbank Cup – Witbank Spurs (1 goal), Chippa United (3), TTM/Marumo Gallants (2) and Venda (2).