Three important factors for All Stars to take into account against Wits

AS a pall of gloom hovers over the Mother City, after a disastrous weekend of results in the Nedbank Cup, NFD side Cape Town All Stars have an opportunity to salvage some pride for the region’s football.

All Stars host PSL log leaders Wits in a last 32 tie of the competition at Athlone Stadium tomorrow night (7.30pm kickoff) – and they’ll be trying to do what four other Cape sides failed to manage at the weekend.

Five Mother City clubs entered this stage of the event – four have already been knocked out. And two of them rather surprisingly, too. Cape Town City, second on the PSL standings and the darlings of the league this season, came up short against little-known Second Division team Acornbush United in Nelspruit.

For City’s PSL neighbours, Ajax Cape Town, there was no joy either, as they succumbed on penalties to KZN amateurs KwaDukuza United on Saturday. To further compound matters, FC Cape Town lost 2-0 to Baroka FC, and then Stellenbosch FC simply didn’t have enough to cope with Kaizer Chiefs.

Now it’s up to All Stars – but, in Wits, they are up against what is currently the PSL’s best-performing team.

But, as the Cape NFD side prepares to face the Clever Boys, three factors should give them heart. One: As seen in the defeats of City and Ajax to lower-tier opposition, this competition lends itself to upset results; two: Stellenbosch put up a good fight against Chiefs, proving that NFD clubs, if organised and structured, can match their PSL counterparts.

All Stars can learn from this; three: Wits’ Caf Champions League campaign makes them vulnerable. The Joburg side played in Egypt at the weekend, where they lost 1-0 to Al Ahly, and fatigue could be an issue.

Wits, though, have great depth in their squad, and the Cape NFD side’s coach, Patrick Mabedi, is keenly aware of this. He’s fully prepared for a tough, competitive match.

“This is an opportunity for all of us at All Stars to get some exposure,” said Mabedi, pictured. “We are the underdogs… Wits have been doing really well and they are also playing at a much higher standard in the Champions League. I know Gavin (Hunt, Wits coach) very well. He is a good professional and he has put together a good, professional squad of players. They’ve got fantastic depth and, even if he makes changes after coming back from Egypt, I expect that whoever is picked will be able to do well for them.”

All Stars are currently in 12th position on the NFD standings and, while league survival is the coach’s top priority, he knows that a good run in the Nedbank Cup will be great for the confidence of the squad.

“Wits are a good team, but we are more intent on focusing on ourselves and what we have to do,” said Mabedi. “Football is about 11 against 11 and, in the end, games are won tactically…

“It will be a big challenge, and our aim since I took over as coach has always been to ensure that the players as individuals and the team as a whole improves day by day.

“We are ready for Wits. Our aim is to make sure that we don’t concede and, when we get opportunities to score, we have to take it.”