Zimbabweans Onismor Bhasera, Denver Mukamba, Tinashe Nengomasha, Thomas Sweswe and Benjani Mwaruwari will go onto the turf, or as usual, watch from the sidelines wishing for a Wits win that will guarantee them a medal.
Of them all, Bhasera is the one that has been most used by coach Gavin Hunt, while Mukamba has been used sparingly for the Johannesburg-based Clever Boys. The others have had patched appearances for the side that finished the season third on the 16-team log, just nine points off eventual Mamelodi Sundowns.
Should Wits win it, their Zimbabwean contingent will join their Sundowns counterparts, who won the league last week, as achievers of the year in the league that has rich pickings.
Pirates, who finished the season in fourth position and 10 points behind Wits, will also be looking at getting the silverware, after they reached three other finals without winning any. Winning the Nedbank Cup would also make sure that the Buccaneers have the last laugh over their perennial rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, who were “invisible” at the start of the season, but lost out on everything and ended the campaign empty-handed.
Wits reached the final after they beat last season’s champions, Chiefs 4-2 in the penultimate game two weekends ago, while Pirates beat Maritzburg United 3-1.
Winners of the R20million Cup will take home a cheque of R7 million, while the losing finalists settle for R2.5million.
Post published in: Football