20 February 2020, by: Leonard Solms

Nedbank Cup Preview: Round of 16

With several outsiders still in the running for the Nedbank Cup, the last 16 could offer up plenty of historic surprises. BET Central’s Leonard Solms looks at all eight ties and puts forward his expectations for how they will play out.

Mamelodi Sundowns boss Pitso Mosimane said that he wanted to face Amavarara in the last 16. Surely, his remarks will only have served to fire the ABC Motsepe League side up.

Just as well, because although they won’t be up against Sundowns, they face a tricky test against Alan Clark’s in-form Black Leopards in Thohoyandou.

Leopards beat in-form Stellenbosch 2-1 in Clark’s first game and pushed Orlando Pirates all the way in an unfortunate 1-0 defeat. Meanwhile, they also dispatched NWU 4-0 in the Nedbank Cup last 32.

Amavarara got this far thanks to a 2-1 win over Super Eagles. However, it is difficult to see past a win for Lidoda Duvha in this fixture given the newfound spring in their step.

This all-GladAfrica Championship clash sees relegation-threatened Mbombela United host mid-table Real Kings at KaNyamazane Stadium.

Real Kings are not in great form and only snuck through to the last 16 with a 3-2 win over Passion FC.

Mbombela United have momentum behind them in this competition after stunning a strong Cape Town City side 1-0.

This game is predicted to go down to the wire, but the hosts are tipped to triumph on penalties.

PSL leaders Kaizer Chiefs will be looking to recover their best form as they visit Highlands Park at Makhulong Stadium.

Chiefs thrashed the Lions of the North 3-0 to mark the 50th year of their existence. However, that was at FNB Stadium and Highlands tend to perform better at home.

Chiefs lost their last game 2-1 to Maritzburg United in the league, having picked up a scrappy 1-0 win over Royal Eagles to send them through to the Nedbank Cup last 16.

Highlands Park have picked up three wins on the trot in all competitions, including a 2-0 last 32 Nedbank Cup win over Uthongathi.

Amakhosi nevertheless have the stronger side of the two and are predicted to scrape through.

The Princess Magogo Stadium hosts a clash between Margate-based Happy Wanderers and relegation-threatened GladAfrica Championship side TS Sporting.

TS Sporting are unbeaten in five games in all competitions and beat Ajax Cape Town on penalties to progress to the last 16.

Happy Wanderers saw off ABC Motsepe League Western Cape outfit Zizwe United 1-0 to make it this far, but will be underdogs on the day.

In-form Maritzburg United seek to continue their winning run as they visit Bloemfontein Celtic at the Dr Molemela Stadium.

The Team of Choice knocked Stellenbosch out on penalties before league wins against Bidvest Wits and Kaizer Chiefs. Meanwhile, Bloem Celtic beat AmaZulu 4-1 in the Nedbank Cup, but their league form has been inconsistent.

Home advantage should help Celtic, who have picked up 16 league points on their own turf this season from 10 games.

This is likely to be a tight encounter, but Maritzburg’s strength of character should give them the edge. Eric Tinkler’s team is tipped to win on penalties.

Baroka made their name as cup giant-killers, but they will be clear favourites this time as they host Hungry Lions at the Peter Mokaba Stadium.

The visitors head into this off the back of a 1-0 win over Jomo Cosmos and will be hungry for an even bigger upset.

Bakgaga beat Polokwane City 1-0 in a Nedbank Cup round of 32 derby, but lost 1-0 to Wits in the league, heaping the pressure back upon themselves in the PSL relegation fight.

The 2018 Telkom Knockout champions will be looking for another notable cup run to ease the stress of a difficult season. This favourable tie presents them with a massive chance.

Mamelodi Sundowns host Vaal University of Technology at the Lucas Moripe Stadium with the underdogs aiming to take advantage of Masandawana’s fixture congestion.

VUT already knocked Golden Arrows out on penalties after a 2-2 draw. This shock result came off the back of coach Stanley Nkoane appearing to  opposite number Steve Komphela.

It remains to be seen whether or not the mind games continue against Pitso Mosimane, who has already praised his opponents on .

Sundowns are likely to rest players for this game, so don’t expect it to be all one-way traffic, but they have strength in depth and are predicted to be strong enough to progress.

Bidvest Wits host Chippa United at Bidvest Stadium as the Clever Boys look to improve on what has been a less than ideal season in terms of domestic cup competitions.

Wits have remained competitive in the league and didn’t embarrass themselves in the CAF Confederation Cup, but they lost their first games in both the Telkom Knockout and the MTN8 this season.

In fairness, Gavin Hunt’s team took a major step in the right direction by beating Orlando Pirates on penalties following a 3-3 draw in the Nedbank Cup last 32. The Chilli Boys, meanwhile, had a smoother passage to this tie, beating TS Galaxy 3-0.

Chippa have suffered 3-0 defeats to SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns recently, so Wits will likely claim the win in this game on home soil.

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