Second-tier University of Pretoria have dumped a second topflight club out of the Nedbank Cup this season when they beat Moroka Swallows 2-1 in their Last 16 clash on Wednesday, having also sent Cape Town Spurs packing in the last round.
It means a quarterfinal ticket for AmaTuks, who were deserved winners on the night and full value for their victory.
The opening goal for AmaTuks came on 57 minutes and it was a well-taken strike from a rare scorer too. The ball fell to Tebogo Mohlamonyane near the edge of the box and his shot across goal nestled in the far corner of the net.
It was his first goal since November 2021 and the seventh of his career. He later had a golden chance for his second but skied his shot over the bar without a defender in sight.
Swallows had not created much all night but found an equaliser on 79 minutes through 17-year-old Lwanda Mbanjwa, who netted the first goal of his career.
He made his professional debut against Platinum City Rovers in the Last 32 and now has a goal to his name, and it was a beauty too.
Swallows worked the ball nicely in the box and when Mbanjwa picked it up 18 yards out, he curled a super shot into the back of the net.
The frame of the goal came to the rescue of Swallows twice in two minutes as they first hit the crossbar before Delano Abrahams saw his shot come off the woodwork.
They had by far the greater number of chances in the tie, but just lacked a little composure in the box. In truth, they could have won quite comfortably.
But they did get their winner a minute into injury-time at the end of the game. It was another superb goal as a deep cross found its way to Thabang Sibanyoni and he rifled the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the box.
That was the 28-year-old’s seventh goal of the season and a second in the Nedbank Cup for the former Mamelodi Sundowns striker. It was a goal of real quality from a player who has also played in the topflight for SuperSport United and Sekhukhune United.
AmaTuks extend their unbeaten run to 14 games (W9 D5) in all competitions dating back to early November and show why they are contenders for promotion to the DStv Premiership.
They also reach the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals for the second time in three years having also appeared there in 2022 when they lost 3-2 to Royal AM.
They are yet to reach a semifinal though since they were runners-up as a second-tier side in 2009 … losing in the final to Swallows.
The Birds keep up their unwanted remarkable record of not having reached the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup since that trophy win 15 years ago.
They have now gone out in the Last 32 on six occasions and the Last 16 on six as well. For a few years they did not compete as the club dropped down to the third-tier, but for such a famous old team, with some decent sides in that time, their form in this competition is baffling.
SOURCED FROM THE NEDBANK CUP WEBSITE.
