Big chance for East Cape footballers
THREE Eastern Cape footballers will be hoping to make their mark in the starting lineup of the Nedbank Ke Yona team when they take on Premier Soccer League Champions SuperSport United at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa on Sunday.
Bongani Sam, Makhosandile Plaatjies and Zanoxolo Mduli will have to prove themselves.
“This will be my very first match against a PSL team and it is very important that I play well on Sunday,” Plaatjies said.
“Our coaches have shown a lot of faith and confidence in us.
“They believe we can make history by being the first Nedbank Ke Yona team to beat PSL giants.”
SuperSport United will be the first team to defend the Nedbank Cup trophy under the guidance of experienced coach Eric Tinkler.
Nedbank Ke Yona coach Owen Da Gama said: “The team have been through an intense training programme for the past seven months and we are confident they are both mentally and physically ready to take on a team as distinguished as SuperSport United.
“We have had a few key training sessions that saw us playing against the likes of Gavin Hunt’s Bidvest Wits team and walking away with a 1-1 draw.
“The boys have been able to adjust to the pressure that comes with playing against professional teams,” he said.
Tinkler encouraged the Ke Yona team to use the opportunity to elevate themselves in their football careers.
“Some of our players are with Bafana, but we will still be fielding a quality side that will be made up of first team players as well as young Bafana internationals such as Teboho Mokoena and 2014 Ke Yona team graduate Aubrey Modiba, who many of the current Ke Yona players should be looking to emulate.”
Follwing Sunday’s clash, the 18-man Ke Yona squad will undergo a month of trials after being drafted into 16 PSL teams with the hopes of securing their first professional contracts.