PIC: Shandre Campbell

The Nedbank Cup has always been a competition where new stars are born and older players rekindle their careers, providing a platform to showcase their quality for young and old.
This year will be no different as players from all levels of the South African football pyramid aim to underline their ability and win the most prestigious knockout trophy in the local game.
Here are 10 players who will use the 2024 competition to shine.

OSWIN APPOLLIS (POLOKWANE CITY)

Appollis is now 22 having burst onto the scene as a precocious teenager and is starting to make his mark in the elite league after a superb season so far for Polokwane City, which earned him a place in the Bafana Bafana squad at the Africa Cup of Nations. He was part of the youth set=up at Ajax Cape Town (now Cape Town Spurs) and SuperSport United, and also had spells at University of Pretoria and Pretoria Callies. But it is since he joined Polokwane that he has taken his game to the next level and proven he is a handful for any defence in the Nedbank Cup. 

SHANDRE CAMPBELL (SUPERSPORT UNITED)
A huge new talent that has emerged at Matsatsantsa, 18-year-old Campbell has already made his mark in the South African topflight. He has started his career on the left-wing but given his immense talent will inevitably move more central as time goes on. He has proven himself to be a superb finisher in the juniors and has a couple of goals against Orlando Pirates this season. His coach Gavin Hunt has seen it all in South African football and believes Campbell can be a top talent. Like many before him, the Nedbank Cup can be the platform to confirm that.

MENZI CHILI (MILFORD FC)
Chili has been a steady campaigner in the second-tier for several years now with Royal Eagles, Mthatha Bucks, Uthongathi and most recently Milford FC. He had only managed a single goal before this campaign but has six in 2023/24 in an attacking role for the Motsepe Foundation Championship debutants. He will be desperate to continue that form against Kaizer Chiefs. Chili was also in the Summerfield Dynamos side that reached the quarterfinals in 2022 but lost to Mamelodi Sundowns.  

FUAD JOHNSON (NB LA MASIA)
The 20-year-old forward is enjoying a fine second season at NB la Masia having joined them ahead of the 2022/23 campaign from Stellenbosch FC. He has scored nine goals for them in that time, including in the thrilling 3-3 preliminary round draw with Baroka FC. He came through the Old Mutual Academy and then played for Highlands Park before joining Stellies, so has a good development grounding. He is certainly one to watch for the future.   

TASHREEQ MATTHEWS (MAMELODI SUNDOWNS)

Matthews has recently joined Mamelodi Sundowns and instantly become one of the players to watch in the local game. He is a left-wing, but much prefers playing in the number 10 role and it will be fascinating to see how he is used at Chloorkop. He is 23 already, so needs to lose the ‘promising’ tag and deliver the good after several excellent seasons in Sweden. Having been part of the juniors at Borussia Dortmund, he understands what it takes to get to the top.

RELEBOHILE MOFOKENG (ORLANDO PIRATES)

Yet another promising left-wing in the country, Mofokeng made his debut at Orlando Pirates last season but has really come into his own in this campaign. He has been earning rave reviews and the 19-year-old has been entrusted with the starting berth in a squad packed with top talent. He has plenty of work to do to go to the next level, but looks a player with the right attributes, if he can keep his head on straight. Many have tipped him as a future Bafana Bafana star.

PRINCE NXAMULO (JDR STARS)
The striker is very much at the veteran stage of his career but has proven this season he has lost none of his goalscoring instinct at second-tier JDR Stars with eight in 12 starts in the league. He was part of the SuperSport United squad that reached the Nedbank Cup final in 2013 but lost to Kaizer Chiefs in the decider, so has a long history in the competition. Now 33, he has plenty of guile in his game and will be a danger for opponents.  

JAEDIN RHODES (CAPE TOWN CITY)

The 20-year-old is an attacking midfielder but is also used out wide by Cape Town City coach Eric Tinkler, though his future probably lies in the middle. He has plenty of skill with the ball at his feet and has started to contribute in the goals column too. He may need to bulk up a bit, which is something City will be working on, but he looks a fantastic prospect and is already a big influence in a team that is second in the league and dreaming of getting past the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

LEBOHANG SEFALI (D’GENERAL)

The attacker was part of the Mathaithai squad that made the Nedbank Cup Last 32 in 2022 before they were ousted by Mamelodi Sundowns. He is one of the few D’General players with experience in the competition and that could prove invaluable this year for a group that is otherwise made up of largely players from the fourth tier of South African football. 

THABANG SIBANYONI (UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA)
Sibanyoni has had something of a journeyman career to date after failing to win a first team place at Mamelodi Sundowns and had various loans away from Chloorkop, but 20 goals in 49 starts speaks of a forward who knows the way to goal. He is also a Bafana Bafana international after helping South Africa to the 2021 COSAFA Cup title and is now spearheading AmaTuks’ promotion push in the 2023/24 campaign. On his day he is a threat to any defence in the country and will relish the chance to shine on the big stage of the Nedbank Cup.