The draws for the round-of-32 matches in the Nedbank Cup were conducted at the Nedbank head office in Sandton, Johannesburg, last Thursday evening. The two Vhembe-based teams still in the competition, Mpheni Defenders and Venda Football Club (VFC), will play their opening matches at home.
VFC will face fellow Motsepe Foundation Championship affiliate Cape Town Spurs, while Defenders will entertain Hungry Lions. The opening matches are scheduled for next weekend, from 24 to 26 January. Although the dates and venues were yet to be confirmed at the time of our going to press, both Defenders and VFC are expected to play their matches at Thohoyandou Stadium.
VFC head coach Stanford Nkoane is optimistic that his team will use Spurs as a stepping stone to progress to the last 16. He stressed that they will not underestimate Cape Town Spurs, despite the latter's fight for survival. Nkoane also emphasised that the Nedbank Cup would not distract them from their league campaign, where VFC is also battling for survival.
Defenders head coach Mr Sydwell Phuravhathu expressed confidence in using their home-ground advantage to defeat the Northern Cape side. Mpheni Defenders were knocked out in the round of 16 by Betway Premiership League side Chippa United last year.
Phuravhathu added that the Nedbank Cup matches would serve as an opportunity to assess the team's readiness for promotion. One of the fixtures expected to attract a large number of spectators is the match between Magesi FC and SuperSport United.