SUPERSPORT United have set their target on re-establishing themselves as serial cup winners as they prepare to take on Richards Bay in the Nedbank Cup.
Matsatsantsa will travel to the King Zwelithini Stadium this afternoon to battle a struggling Natal Rich Boyz outfit at 3pm.
The Tshwane-based outfit have not been able to get their hands on any major silverware in recent seasons, their last trophy coming in the form of the MTN8 in the 2019/2020 season.
SuperSport have been one of the most successful clubs in South Africa but have hit a slump in the last four or five years.
Now with an opportunity to awaken their glittering aspirations, SuperSport assistant coach Andre Arendse has revealed the club’s wishes for this edition of the Ke Yona competition.
Having already missed out on the Carling Knockout Cup and exited the CAF Confederation Cup, the Nedbank Cup remains the only realistic chance at gold.
Speaking to the media in the build-up to the quarter-final fixtures, Arendse expressed that his side were relishing the chance to end their trophy drought.
“This is a cup competition that we want to go deep in. We were known previously as one of the clubs who are cup kings,” he said.
“Cup final after cup final, you would have found us there. We have taken a bit of a knock in terms of where we are with our journey in cup competitions. But the fact that we are still here allows us to go deep into the competition.
“Maybe we will miss some of the big teams and you never know how the draw will go but this is a cup competition we have a good relationship with and we want to stay in it as long as we can.”
Battles between SuperSport and Richards Bay have produced contrasting results with both teams getting a win each in the league.
Even though the visitors will be without their top scorer Bradley Grobler through suspension, this encounter still has the potential to provide goals with six already scored in the two encounters.
The biggest influence is expected to be between the two dugouts with Richards Bay coach Vusumuzi Vilakazi already targeting a fourth win against SuperSport this season.
“VV” has already beaten Matsatsantsa in the colours of Golden Arrows, Chippa United and most recently Bay, a record he’ll want to extend against one of the finest coaches of this generation.
With their place in the DStv premiership next season under threat, Bay are targeting the Nedbank Cup as a potential source of positivity for the rest of the 2023/2024 campaign.
Having reached the last four of the Carling Knockout Cup, the KwaZulu-Natal outfit have proven potential in cup competitions and will aim to equal their early season success and to even better it.