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Cup battle for NFD teams

STEELY: Former AmaZayoni strongman Gordon Gilbert has joined Kaizer Chiefs. 29/06/2008. Pic. Lefty Shivambu. © Sowetan.
STEELY: Former AmaZayoni strongman Gordon Gilbert has joined Kaizer Chiefs. 29/06/2008. Pic. Lefty Shivambu. © Sowetan.

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

Mcelwa Nchabeleng

While Absa Premiership players will be taking it easy on the Day of Reconciliation on Tuesday, their counterparts in the National First Division will knuckle down to serious business.

They will be sweating out in the last 32 phase of the Nedbank Cup, South African football's version of the FA Cup. But the PSL has given the teams enough time to prepare for their cup matches on December 16 as they will not be playing this weekend.

The venues for the highly anticipated cup matches were confirmed by the Premier Soccer League on Tuesday.

Ke Yona was incepted last year and was won by Mamelodi Sundowns when they narrowly beat a stubborn Mpumalanga Black Aces 1-0.

It now remains to be seen how AmaZayoni will fare in the cup this season after losing some of their key players to top Premiership clubs after their fairy tale run in the tournament. Thabang Rooi and Gordon Gilbert were snapped up by Kaizer Chiefs and Rooi Mahamutsa joined Orlando Pirates.

Aces have been pitted against African Warriors at KaNyamazane Stadium in Nelspruit in a 3.30pm kickoff.

Jomo Cosmos, who were elbowed out of the tournament by Nathi Lions on penalties in the last 16 stage last season, engage tough customers Pretoria University at the University of Pretoria Stadium.

Coastal stream log leaders and upstarts Carara Kicks welcome Vasco da Gama at Griffons Rugby Stadium in Welkom.

A double header is confirmed at Vygieskraal Stadium in Cape Town where Hanover Park entertain Black Leopards at 3.30pm, before Ikapa Sporting engage FC AK at 7.30pm. Other matches will start at 3.30pm.

The winners of the eight matches will book a spot in the main draw of the competition which kicks off in March next year. This will include 16 clubs from the Absa Premiership and a further eight from the amateur ranks.

The full draw is:

Tshwane: AmaTuks v Cosmos; Griffons: Kicks v Da Gama, NkowaNkowa: Dynamos v Durban Stars; Vygieskraal: Hanover Park v Leopards; Vygieskraal: Sporting v FC AK, King Zwelithini: Lions v Witbank Spurs; Seshego: Winners Park v FC Cape Town; KwaNyamazane: Aces v Warriors.

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