Oriented Birds prepare for Young Bafana challenge
PLETTENBERG BAY - The reigning Western Cape Regional League champions Oriented Birds will lock horns with last season's Western Cape ABC Motsepe Provincial League winners, Young Bafana, in the Nedbank Cup Competition on Saturday afternoon, 7 October at the sport arena in Strand.
After displaying good form in the Safa Eden Regional League last season, the Plettenberg Bay outfit will be starting their new season with the provincial Nedbank Cup play-offs away from home. The 17 ABC Motsepe League teams will be battling it out for the top spot in the Western Cape semi-professional league.
The Western Cape ABC Motsepe Nedbank Cup winner will face the Safa Regional Nedbank Cup champs to determine the overall Western Cape Nedbank champions, who will go straight to the national Nedbank Cup last 32.
The ABC Motsepe teams are FN Rangers, Junction Rovers, Royal Blues, Ikapa Sporting, Santos, Ubuntu, Hanover Park, Ukhanya, Young Bafana, Grassy Park United, City Kings, Oriented Birds, Hout Bay United, Maties, Battalions, Zizwe United and Clarewood JMP.
Oriented Birds head coach Marx Banzi, a former Premier Soccer League forward, told Knysna-Plett Herald that they are ready for their first game in the Nedbank Cup and all their players are available for selection for their weekend match in Cape Town. "It's going to be a great game for Oriented Birds and it will be a good fight between the Western Cape [regional league] champs versus the current Western Cape ABC Motsepe Provincial League Champions Young Bafana."
He said he knows that Oriented Birds are a closed book to their opponents and that they could use this to their advantage by upping their game and surprising Young Bafana.