Orlando Pirates begin their journey to the Nedbank Cup as title defence with a trip to Mpumalanga where they face SAFA Regional League outfit Crystal Lake at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.
League football pauses momentum as the Soweto Giants begin their quest to be crowned champions for the 10th time as they lock horns with the Bushbuckridge-based side currently competing in the fourth tier of South African football.
It’s a fixture that encompasses the unique spectacle that is the Nedbank Cup, with one of the oldest clubs competing in this year’s edition locking horns with a side that is barely a year old after its formation in 2023.
Mismatches have however been a rare occurrence in the tournament over the past few years, and the minnows will be determined to make history against one of the biggest names in the competition.
Crystal Lake have the form to back up their ambition, having posted victories in each of their last seven home games. They are currently second in their subdivision of the Ehlanzeni Men’s Regional League with three wins in their last five matches, where they have lost once and played to a single stalemate.
They are now set to debut in the Last 32 of one of the country’s most prestigious tournaments, following a 1-0 victory over Middleburg United in the final of their provincial playoff.
Standing between them and a spot in the next round are the defending champions, who returned to competitive football last Saturday with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld.
Pirates have endured a mixed bag of results in their six most recent fixtures, winning three in a row before suffering back-to-back defeats.
With one point in their last three league games, they will be looking to ensure that a return to cup football brings about an improvement in results as only a win on Saturday will do in their mission to replicate last season’s heroics.