Tau Rankoko is a player to watch for Mpheni Defenders this Saturday .
By: Refilwe Sebola
Mpheni Defenders FC exudes unwavering confidence in clinching a spot in the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup during the Limpopo ABC Motsepe League semifinals and finals scheduled for this Saturday at the Oscar Mpetha Stadium, University of Limpopo.
The triumphant team on Saturday will confront the victor from the Hollywoodbets league to vie for the last 32 spot.
Mpheni will contend against United Artist from their group A, while the recently promoted Royal Pirates will encounter Ngwaabe City Motors from their group B to ascertain the group representative. The champions from the two respective groups will then battle it out in the final.
Sydney Phuravhathu, the owner of Mpheni, exudes utmost confidence in his team’s capability to secure the coveted spot this Saturday. He underscored the team’s robustness and thorough readiness to vie for the Nedbank Cup spot and the league championship.
Key players such as striker Tau Rankoko and midfielder Mpho Miya have reunited with the team, and the “Bulls” have also enlisted the services of a new head coach, Nyathi Mzwakhe, who is supported by goalkeeper coach Kenny Moseamo in the capacity of assistant coach.
The last time Mpheni qualified for the Nedbank last 32 spot was in March 2023 when they progressed to the last 16 of the competition before being eliminated by Premier Soccer League side Chippa United.
However Artist who eliminated the mighty Vondwe X1 Bullets in penalties is capable of pulling a surprise victory. They have good players who can match their rivals Mpheni and any other team to ultimately secure a spot in the last 32 of the tournament.
Madritas represented the province last season however they were eliminated in their inaugural match.
Below is the comprehensive Nedbank Cup preliminary round fixture for this weekend:
Fixture:
Saturday 28/09/2024, University of Limpopo,
Mpheni Defenders vs United Artists 09:00, City Motors vs Royal Pirates 11:00. Final: Winner 1 vs Winner 2 15:00.
Mpheni owner Sydney Phuravhathu