Lower-division teams will have an uphill battle in the Absa Cup this weekend, with only four of the 16 ties pitting non-Premier Soccer League (PSL) sides against each other.
But the Davids might surprise as a couple of the PSL Goliaths are playing poorly at the moment. In particular, Santos and Sundowns — both former league champions — look ripe for a fall. Santos — second from bottom in the log and with real relegation worries — might decide concentrating on the cup is not worth going down to the Mvela Golden League. If they do, minnows Beaufort West might benefit.
Sundowns are not in a relegation battle, but their form over the past few weeks has been so abysmal that third-division Ledwaba Power Stars go into the game with reasonable hopes of causing an upset.
Morale at the most expensively assembled team in the country is at an all-time low and playing away from home could be Sundowns’ undoing unless drastic measures are taken to shore up the defence.
Defending champions Moroka Swallows have a tough encounter against a rejuvenated Ajax Cape Town in one of the four all-PSL clashes. The Dube Birds have shown that without lanky striker Lungisani Ndlela — who has signed for Supersport United — they cannot find the net.
League leaders Orlando Pirates have a comfortable points cushion in the PSL and are looking to erase the memory of several first-round defeats in recent cup competition. They come up against Silver Stars, who they beat 2-0 in Limpopo earlier in the season. There is also the small matter of R1,5-million for the cup winners to spur Pirates on.
Another all-PSL clash pits Bush Bucks, rooted to the bottom of the table, against Bloemfontein Celtic. These two sides recently played to a 1-1 draw and Bush Bucks might decide this game is just a distraction from their main target of avoiding a return to the first division.
However, a good run in the Absa Cup sometimes provides an opportunity to turn things around. Last year Manning Rangers contested the final while staring relegation in the face. Rangers lost that final, but avoided the axe.
Bafana Bafana assistant coach and former national captain Steve Komphela has been appointed new coach of the under-23 team.
Komphela grew up in Kroonstad and played for Fairway Stars before catching the eye of Kaizer Chiefs. The central defender became the first captain of Bafana Bafana, serving the national team with distinction between 1992 and 1996, and ended his playing career at Gazientepspor in Turkey.
This weekend Komphela will have the opportunity to run his eye over some players when he accompanies senior coach Stuart Baxter to Mauritius for the Confederation of Southern African Football Association (Cosafa) Cup game against Seychelles.
Because South Africa does not take the regional competition too seriously, several promising youngsters who qualify to play for the under-23 side have been included in the full Bafana Bafana squad.