Fresh from his second cup trophy in SA with Warriors in the DStv Compact Cup, Swallows FC coach Dylan Kerr is seeking a third — and also wants to defend the 2020-21 Nedbank Cup title he won with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM).

TTM beat Chippa United 1-0 in the 2021 final at Free State Stadium, shortly before the Limpopo team ended the Covid-19-extended DStv Premiership campaign in 12th place. They were promptly renamed Marumo Gallants by their new owners in the off-season.

In bizarre circumstances, Kerr worked for an extended period from the stands without a work permit at TTM, finally finding his way on to the bench for the Nedbank final. Then he and Gallants could not agree a contract renewal.

He joined 14th-placed Swallows in early December, who will get a break from the pressure of their Premiership relegation battle meeting GladAfrica Championship outfit TS Sporting in the Nedbank Cup last-32 at Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday.

“I want to win this game because I'm the current cup-holder with TTM, now Marumo Gallants,” said Kerr, whose compilation Warriors  beat Coastal United in Saturday's final of the vote-for-line-ups Compact Cup at FNB Stadium.

“It's up to the players. The Nedbank Cup is a prestigious tournament and to win it you've got to get past the teams from the GladAfrica, and we've got a tough game against Sporting.

“But I've got faith in what the players can do, and it's going to be a headache to pick the starting XI.”

The weekend's Nedbank last-32 round brings a return to domestic football in SA after the break for Christmas and the Africa Cup of Nations.

“It's been three weeks of midseason football. We've had a lot of trialists — today we had 36 players at training, last week we had 42. It doesn't help the situation when you've got so many coming to training, and you don’t know all the faces.

“But today [Monday] was a fantastic training session — all about working hard and seeing who can be included in the squad to meet TS Sporting.

“I think Sporting's priority will be that they are third-bottom in the GladAfrica. But it's cup football. I've just played in a cup final in the DStv Compact Cup and you just want to win.”

Swallows went to the break showing signs of improvement in their play under Kerr, but still battling with just one win in six league matches.