Stellies may further dent SuperSport’s trophy ambitions
SUPERSPORT United will place their long-standing dominance on the line when they travel to Stellenbosch for what is expected to be an epic Nedbank Cup clash.
Matsatsantsa have lost just one of their 10 clashes against Stellies in all competitions and have placed their cup pedigree and record against an up-and-coming Stellies outfit.
The two teams will meet at the Danie Craven Stadium tomorrow at 3pm, looking to book a semi-final spot in the Ke Yona Cup competition.
Having failed to win both the MTN8 and Carling Knockout Cup this season, Matsatsantsa head coach Gavin Hunt has made the Nedbank Cup the saving grace of the club’s 2023/2024 campaign.
Standing in their way, however, is a Stellies team in the form of their lives.
The Cape Winelands-based outfit won their first-ever top-flight cup with the Carling Knockout Cup last December.
Head coach Steve Barker has also been instrumental in guiding his side to a historic 20-game unbeaten run, the first of its kind in the club’s history.
The size of Matsatsantsa’s next task cannot be exaggerated enough considering the form of their opponents.
SuperSport’s form has been a stark contrast to that of Stellenbosch, with Hunt’s men managing just a single win in all competitions in the ten games they’ve played in 2024.
Their leaky defensive unit has been at the core of their biggest problems this season, an unfamiliar trait for a Hunt team.
The Pretoria-based outfit has conceded 12 goals since the resumption of the second round of the season, averaging a goal a game in their net.
Coming up against a Stellies side that is scoring for fun at the moment, with an impressive 11 strikes in their past five matches, the likes of Thulani Hlatshwayo and company are in for a difficult task.
The meeting of these two teams has ignited positive conversations around their respective club models as they also continue to tussle for a place in the CAF Champions League as well.
Hunt spoke about the importance of studying a similar style of play as well as finding solutions against teams that very frequently display characteristics similar to his team.
The four-time South African League winner also expressed his desire to see his team defy the odds.
SuperSport have not won the Nedbank Cup since the 2016/2017 season under Stuart Baxter.
When asked to weigh in on his side’s clash against Stellenbosch and the danger they pose, Hunt was quick to rip up the history book, saying he doesn’t think the game is as one-sided as many might imagine.
“I am sure they (Stellenbosch) think the same about us (that they are a threat).
“We are well aware of the threat Stellenbosch pose, and they are also well aware of the threat we pose, and the record we have against them (of four wins, one defeat and five draws from 10 meetings across all competitions), but that means nothing in this type of game,” he said.