DURBAN - If the circus that is in town needs a few extra jugglers they could easily call on some of the coaches of the clubs that play in the Nedbank Cup on Wednesday.
Besides the usual balancing act between the league and the cup, certain coaches have an extra ball in the air in the form of continental assignments. It requires them to master squad rotation and training loads, and managing injuries, jet lag, suspensions and the expectation to defend the title. That’s the puzzle SuperSport United coach Stuart Baxter must unravel as his team begin the defence of the Nedbank Cup against Royal Eagles at the Harry Gwala Stadium, four days after they lost a CAF Confederation Cup opening round match 3-2 at Sudan’s Al-Ahly Shendi. And four days later they host the Sudanese side for the second leg!
It’s a fine juggling act, one that his counterparts at Platinum Stars and Bidvest Wits will be familiar with. Platinum host AmaZulu tonight, after they lost their CAF Confederation Cup match 1-0 at Uganda’s Vipers on Saturday, and three days later they tackle Vipers in the return leg. It’s similar for Gavin Hunt of Bidvest Wits, with the Clever Boys meeting Cape Town All Stars in between CAF Champions League games against Egypt’s Al Ahly. Wits lost 1-0 at the weekend, and will attempt to do better when the Egyptians come to Joburg on Sunday.
All that makes for unpredictable clashes on Wednesday night, just what cups are meant to deliver. All the First Division sides involved in these games - Witbank Spurs are the other second tier club who face Chippa United - must stand a reasonable chance of upsetting their big league counterparts.
No doubt the squad rotation will see the likes of Dean Furman and Reneilwe Letsholonyane return to the midfield, Reyaad Pieterse to goals, and Mandla Masango and Thabo Mnyamane should front the attack for the Pretoria team. Of course Eagles and AmaZulu have their own juggling to do. Promotion is the priority, and the cup will be a “bonus”, according to Eagles coach Kostadin Papic.
“I’m not a coach who fights for trophies - it comes like a bonus,” said the Serbian who boasts a full-strength squad, but has an eye on their own challenge in the league against FC Cape Town on Saturday.
Nevertheless they will give it a full go, promised Papic. “It’s added pressure against the defending champions, who are very difficult opponents. They like the cup competitions; for us it’s a first time, and we are not favourites to win.
“We can’t sacrifice one competition to win another, or we could end up losing both. More focus will be on promotion,” he said.
AmaZulu are three points behind Eagles and a place in the play-offs. The weekend’s league clash against Witbank Spurs looms larger, and it’s a six-pointer too.