PIC: Patrick Maswanganyi of Orlando Pirates is challenged by Brooklyn Poggenpoel of SuperSport United

The so-called ‘Big Three’ were kept apart in the quarter-final draw for the Nedbank Cup but holders Orlando Pirates face a tricky test away at SuperSport United.

Here is a quick guide to the last-4 fixtures.

DURBAN CITY VS MARUMO GALLANTS

Last season this was an all-second-tier fixture, but 2021 Nedbank Cup winners Marumo Gallants are back in the big-time after taking up the topflight status of Moroka Swallows at the start of the campaign. City, rebranded from the old Maritzburg United, knocked out TS Galaxy in the last round and will be aiming to take down another former champion in Gallants. City made the final in 2018 against Free State Stars but lost 1-0 in Cape Town. These sides have met 10 times before with City edging the head-to-head 4-3. 

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS ROYAL AM/MILFORD FC OR SEKHUKHUNE UNITED

Sundowns may not find out their quarter-final opponents for a while as Royal AM and Milford FC still need to play their Last 32 encounter. The winner of that tie advances to face Sekhukhune United, and the victor there will then take on Sundowns. So theoretically it could be any one of three clubs. Sundowns will be happy for the home draw, they have not lost in the Nedbank Cup on their own patch since a 1-0 reversal at the hands of Lamontville Golden Arrows in 2017.

SUPERSPORT UNITED VS ORLANDO PIRATES
These two have had many Nedbank Cup battles down the years, not least the back-to-back final wins for SuperSport United in 2016 and 2017. SuperSport also won a Last 16 tie in 2015, but Pirates did claim victory in the first round in 2009, winning 2-0. They are seeking a third successive Nedbank Cup title and are unbeaten in their last 14 games in the competition, since they lost a quarterfinal 4-1 to Sundowns in 2019. Pirates beat SuperSport 3-1 in the MTN8 quarter-finals earlier this season, and also claimed a 2-0 league success in October. But, incredibly, they have not won at SuperSport since 2014.

STELLENBOSCH FC VS KAIZER CHIEFS
Kaizer Chiefs’ long hunt for a trophy is approaching 10 years and they will have to be on top form to get past a resolute Stellenbosch FC side in the Cape Winelands. However, they do have good recent memories having claimed a 1-0 away win at Stellenbosch in the league on February 7, a game they dominated. The first two meetings between these sides were in the Nedbank Cup as Chiefs won 3-0 in 2017 and 2-1 in 2018, though on both occasions Stellenbosch were a second-tier side. They have met 15 times in all with Chiefs winning eight to go with three wins for Stellenbosch and four draws. Stellenbosch have reached the Nedbank Cup semi-finals in the last two years but progressed no further.