City takes on city in Cup semifinals

THIS weekend’s Nedbank Cup soccer semifinals throw up the intriguing possibility of a single-city final as Cape Town goes to battle against Pretoria in two contrasting last four clashes.

While Ajax Cape Town’s hosting of SuperSport United at the Athlone Stadium tonight is a tough fixture to call, the other semifinal tomorrow that sees Mamelodi Sundowns entertain Vasco da Gama looks a much more one-sided affair.

That is despite the recent wretched form of the Brazilians that has seen them claim just a single success in their last six outings in all competitions, a disappointing return for Pitso Mosimane’s star-studded squad.

Ajax will test their strong home form against a SuperSport side who have already claimed the Telkom Knockout this season.

The Urban Warriors have lost just once at home in the last year, to Kaizer Chiefs in October, and have won their last five games in a row in front of their own fans.

This match will be played at Athlone rather than their usual Cape Town Stadium base, but coach Roger de Sa says it is a popular choice with the players.

“The players voted for it, which is quite interesting,” De Sa said.

“Athlone has been good to us and it is somewhere we feel confident.

“You always want to be at home in a cup game and this will give us an advantage.”

For all his club success, Matsatsantsa coach Gordon Igesund has never won South Africa’s FA Cup, but hopes to have a repeat of his maiden success in the Telkom Knockout earlier this season.

Sundowns have been dumped out of the Champions League and PSL race in recent weeks and the pressure will mount on Mosimane if they lose to National First Division side Vasco da Gama at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

A month ago this would have been a certain home win, but a nervous Sundowns, still reeling from a 5-0 loss to Bloemfontein Celtic 10 days ago, look to be stumbling as the season draws to a close.

Vasco go into the game with no such pressure, their coach, Tony de Nobrega, said.

“It’s a big one, that goes without saying, but we can go there and just give it a go because nobody expects us to win, do they?” he said.

“It is one of the biggest games in the history of the club and everybody here just can’t wait for Sunday.”