Staff Reporter.
Orlando Pirates will begin their quest to win the Nedbank Cup for the first time since 2014 when they take on AmaZulu in the round of 32 at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday.
Kick-off is at 3pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
The Buccaneers have won the competition twice in its current iteration, their first success coming in 2011 when they beat Black Leopards 3-1 in the final.
Three years later Pirates lifted the trophy once more after seeing off the challenge of Bidvest Wits in the final with a 3-1 victory.
The Soweto giants would go on to reach back-to-back finals in 2016 and 2017, but lost to SuperSport United on both occasions.
Bucs co-coach Mandla Ncikazi admits he would rather not have faced Benni McCarthy’s side in the early rounds after playing them twice in the DStv Premiership in December.
Their first encounter on December 8 ended in a 1-1 draw, while the Sea Robbers emerged 2-1 victors in the return fixture 15 days later.
“I was praying to avoid at least four fixtures, and unfortunately one of the fixtures I wanted to avoid was AmaZulu, for a number of reasons,” Ncikazi revealed.
“The AmaZulu that is coached by Benni are fighters, I think his personality comes through into his team. Previous matches have never been easy, and this one will be very tough as well.
“If Pirates are to win this competition then this is the wall we have to go through – AmaZulu. Maybe it is better to play against opponents that you know, than teams where you have never seen their profile.”
Usuthu’s best run in the Nedbank Cup saw them make it all the way to the final in 2010, where they were beaten 3-0 by Wits.
The Durban-based club also registered one quarterfinal (2011) and two semifinal appearances (2008 and 2012) in the early years, but have failed to progress past the opening two rounds since then, something McCarthy is looking to change.
The former Pirates striker has a number of players in his squad who once called Mayfair their home and he intends to use that as motivation to get the better of their more illustrious opponents this weekend.
“It is a big stage, and who better to perform against than the team who said you were not good enough. Or for whatever reason you were given your clearance and told you can go join another team,” he said.
Nedbank Cup Fixtures (4-6 February 2022):
Friday, 4 February
University of Pretoria v Chippa United, TUKS Stadium – 15:00
Richards Bay v Mamelodi Sundowns, Princess Magogo Stadium – 18:00
Saturday, 5 February
Swallows FC v TS Sporting, Dobsonville Stadium – 15:00
Tshakhuma FC v Golden Arrows, Thohoyandou Stadium – 18:00
Sunday, 6 February
Orlando Pirates v AmaZulu, Orlando Stadium – 15:00.