Chance for minnows to upset the applecart
Tshepo Ntsoelengoe
With the big three having avoided each other in the last-16 round of the Nedbank Cup, Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates still face some serious competition in their bid for the Ke Yona title.
Amakhosi face Stellenbosch United, a side currently fifth on the National First Division standings, while the Buccaneers will square off with fellow Premiership side Cape Town City and Masandawana will entertain ABC Motsepe League side EC Bees FC, who are fourth in the ABC league standings in Eastern Cape.
Downs have a good history of humiliating third-tier sides in this competition with the club having annihilated Powerlines FC 24-0 in the 2012 edition of the tournament.
But, with that in mind, EC Bees defender George Gawe says they respect Downs, but they’re motivated to fight hard to get as far as possible in the competition and downs should prepare for a tough encounter.
“We know the story about Powerlines, but we are not them. Sundowns are a huge team and they have been doing quite well for the past seasons. But we are also good, we have the players who can do the job, we respect them, but when we are on the field it is 11 against 11,” said Gawe.
“We were knocked out in the first round last year, now we are happy to have progressed to this stage this time. We are just looking forward to continuing our journey in the tournament.”
Sundowns winger Aubrey Ngoma (right), meanwhile, says they will prepare thoroughly for EC Bees to avoid any disappointments because the Nedbank Cup has in the past, seen lower league teams getting the better of clubs playing in top-flight football and says they don’t want to be part of that history.
“We can’t take them lightly just because they play in the lower division. We have to prepare like we are playing any other team. The Nedbank Cup has produced some surprises in the past and we don’t want to be part of that history by getting knocked out of the tournament by a team that is two divisions below us,” said Ngoma.