Siwelele FC coach Lehlohonolo Seema hopes to emulate Magesi FC to win the trophy as rookies of the premiership. Photo: Sipho Siso

news.reporter1959@gmail.com

New boys on the block Siwelele FC are looking forward to emulating a Magesi FC miracle run that saw the side lifting the Carling Knockout trophy during its 2024/25 maiden season of the Betway Premiership.

Magesi came from nowhere and beat all and sundry to advance to the final, including bundling out Soweto giants Orlando Pirates in the first round of 16. In the final, the Polokwane side found premiership powerhouse Mamelodi Sundowns, which has dominated the league for the past decade including winning it a straight eight times in a row, waiting for them.

The then premiership rookies showed no respect for Masandawana, which has assumed the nickname of the ‘Yellow Machine’ for its exploits in the local league coupled with its successful sojourns into African continental football for the past decade, but with very little to show for it.

Magesi went on to annex the knockout trophy at the expense of favourites, Masandawana, and the rookies were crowned champions after obliterating the Yellow Machine that never saw what hit them, come the end of the ninety minutes of the game.

Everyone had thought it was a given that the trophy was going to Chloorkop, the home base of Sundowns but the makotizi of league had other plans and a few tricks up their sleeves for the giants of local premiership and continental football.

Speaking at a packed press conference of the Carling Black Label beer brand in Bryanston, Johannesburg, Siwelele head coach Lehlohonolo Seema likened his side to Magesi FC, and said they will give the cup competition a fight of their lives.

“We’re in it to win it. Ofcourse it’s not going to be easy, especially that we will be facing an inform Orlando Pirates team and one that seems to have assumed the title of being cup specialists. We shall put our best foot forward, and who knows, at the end of the game they might not know what hit them,” Seema said.

“Like Magesi then, we are also rookies of the premiership and we can stun our various opponents with a fabulous run right up to the final and even win it. There is no particular player to be on the lookout for at Pirates. As you have seen, their goals can come from anywhere and anyone.

“That doesn’t mean we shall be lambs to the slaughter. We’re not scared of them and we will endeavour to give as much as we get, and maybe, with lady luck on our side, we can beat them. They have beaten us in the league already but once bitten twice shy,” Seema warned.

TS Galaxy coach Adnan Beganovic, whose side were losing finalists two seasons ago, said he was hopeful his side might have a better run again in the competition. “We are preparing to win the trophy and not just add numbers. We will want to beat the rookies of premiership football, Orbit College FC and advance to the next round of the tournament,”Beganovic said.

Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler has his eyes set on the Carling Knockout trophy after being bundled out of the MTN8. Photo: Sipho Siso

Team of the moment Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler, which is josling with Mamelodi Sundowns for the top spot of the league, will take on Lamontville Golden Arrows at the King Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu Stadium in Durban tomorrow [October 4], said Arrows were buoyed by its recent win in the league against Sundowns and will be seeking to make life difficult for his side in this encounter.

“We have gone deeply into the market this season with one purpose, to achieve things this season and cups are some of the items on our menu. We have already lost the MTN8 and we are now pinning our hopes on this one. We will do all it takes to progress to the next round,” Tinkler said.

The Sea Robbers’ Moroccan coach Abdeslaam Ouaddou fears a rookies repeat of last season’s elimination in the first round. Photo: Sipho Siso

Pirates coach Abdeslaam Ouaddou, whose side has finally found its rhythm with the new player additions during the off season, said he expects a tough game against Siwelele. “We might have beaten them in the league but league and cup games are a different kettle of fish altogether. The league has a second chance to redeem yourselves but cups are knockout competitions and we need to be at our best to stay in,” Ouaddou said.

The Yellow Machine coach Miguel Cardoso hopes for another fairytale run in the cup and win after being booted out as losing finalists last season. Photo: Sipho Siso

Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, whose side recently laboured for 1-1 draw with Marumo Gallants in the league, said he was expecting a tough encounter once again but that his side was ready for the bruising battle.

“We were recently held by Gallants and lost our last match to Arrows, and the side will need to dig deep and pull up their socks if we need to stay in this cup and possibly win it. We always play to win every match and everything and we hope to do the best job of the task ahead,” said Cardoso, whose side were losing finalists of the cup last season.

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi still has issues with the club and will not be available for this fixture either. Photo: Sipho Siso

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze, who has taken over coaching reigns in the uncertain future of Tunisian coach Nasreddine Nabi with the club, said his side needs to go all the way if ‘e want to rewrite the history of the club and return it to its glory days’.

“We will have to pull up our socks to stay in the game and to win things. Kaizer Chiefs has been well known to be the team that wins cups and all and we need to return to that mentality,” said Kaze, whose side will be away to Stellenbosch in Cape Town on Sunday [October 5].