The revitalized Highlands Park are on a collision course against the mighty Kaizer Chiefs (both) Saturday Feb. 22 in a bid to progress to the quarterfinals of the fiercely contested Nedbank Cup.
Kaizer Chiefs are still on course for a cup double this (2019/20) season.
They are in contention for the five-round Nedbank trophy and the season-long Absa Premiership league title.
The possibility of losing both should be a worrying eventuality. Today though, they will not be perturbed much about the league marathon. Certainly.
Even so, there is bound to be unspoken apprehension in the Chiefs stable after dropping three maximum (league) points unexpectedly to Maritzburg United the previous weekend.
Losing at home is never easy. It is unforgivable, especially when all has been going fairly well. Increasingly so if the losing team is as big as Kaizer Chiefs.
It might have been a slight slip up for their performance has been quite pleasing compared to the previous seasons. They are not yet at the level of their fiery all-conquering force of yoke they once were nonetheless. This fact – if it has not begun – may become a constant worry until they deliver a silverware.
They are meeting Highlands Park who came close to clinching their maiden cup after narrowly losing out the 2019 Telkom Knockout Cup to Mamelodi Sundowns in December. As witnessed in recent history, there are no longer soft games in the Premier Soccer League.
For Highlands, undoubtedly, the freshness of that agonising memory – a trophy loss to Sundowns – has not and will not escaped them any time soon. For their solace, they know they are worthy proponents to hold their own against any club. It follows that the Lions of the North will tug and scratch all the way to the nervy end in the Nedbank Cup challenge.
Here too – today that is – they [Highlands Park] are likely to push hard against Chiefs until the final whistle blows for sure. Only then will their claws reveal how deep they sunk on the skins of the Soweto giants.
There it is: this afternoon Amakhosi cross paths with the Lions of North at Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa at 15h00. It is an elimination-cup draw.
The Makhulong stadium, wedged in the eastern Johannesburg township [Tembisa], is small and compact. Arguably, venues of this category often suit the underdogs.
By all measures, Highlands Park are the minnows in this Nedbank Cup encounter. Owing to the stadium’s sheer size, the supporters in close proximity are likely to feel and be anointed by the break of and flying sweat from players in both camps.
With all the arsenal at their disposal, Chiefs will be out to redeem themselves and keep hopes of a legion of their dominant fans alive. Of course, for themselves too, their ambitions have not faded by a long chalk. If not winning the league, at least on this five-game tournament to the exhilarating glory.
Generally, ascending the stage to don a silverware after a long dry spell (by their standards) will go a long way to appease everybody associated with Amakhosi.
Highlands Park are an aggressive and offensive lot. After starting the premier league season on a high, their performance went on a slump. Nevertheless, they have rediscovered their charm and winning combination of late seems evident enough.
The Nedbank Cup game in the round-of-16 will be intense. In essence, so are cup competitions. Nevertheless, there has to be one victor in the end, be it in 90 minutes or extra-time, even the heart-sinking penalty shootouts.
Although Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp is not new in highly competitive tournaments, he knows the pressure that comes with reporting to management empty-handed on the drawing board.
For Middendorp, this crunch (Nedbank-) cup game comes on the eve of the age-old no-holds-barred Soweto derby [Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs] on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Is this a blessing or inhibition? That will show how Chiefs will turn up and fare this afternoon.
Meanwhile Owen Da Gama, the Highlands Park coach, is in search for a cup victory for his voracious lions, also understands cup games are dependent on peaking at the right moments and timing defence and counter-attacks.
Quite blatantly, there are no second chances in cup stakes. They are always about one game at a give time. The cold reality both mentors are well-acquainted with.
The winner of this match will book the slot in the 2019/20 edition of the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals. From there on, with three games to the ultimate triumph, anything is possible. It can go either way.
Friday Feb. 21 Nedbank Cup Result:
Black Leopards 2-0 Amavarara FC
Other Saturday Feb. 22 Nedbank Cup Fixtures:
Happy Wanderers vs TS Sporting at Princess Magogo Stadium KwaMashu, Durban – 15h00
Mbombela United vs Real Kings at Kanyamazane Stadium in Nelspruit – 15h00
Bloemfontein Celtic vs Maritzburg United at Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein – 20h15
Sunday Feb. 23 Nedbank Cup Fixtures:
Mamelodi Sundowns vs Vaal University at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, Pretoria – 15h00
Baroka FC vs Hungry Lions FC at Peter Mokaba Stadium Polokwane – 15h00
Monday Feb. 24 Nedbank Cup Fixture:
Bidvest Wits vs Chippa United at Bidvest Stadium in Johannesburg – 19h30