Durban City captain Siphamandla Ncanana.
Image: Backpagepix
Durban City captain Siphamandla Ncanana says that reaching the Nedbank Cup final is no longer just about the club, but about representing KwaZulu-Natal football as a whole.
The centre-back rejoins the squad after a yellow card suspension and is looking forward to beating TS Galaxy for the third time this season on Saturday at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
TS Galaxy lifted the Nedbank Cup trophy back in 2019, but based on their performances this season, the odds favour Durban. Durban's left-back, Terrence Mashego, was part of that TS Galaxy squad that won in 2019 and now has a chance to lift the cup again.
On both occasions during the league season, Durban defeated TS Galaxy 2-0, both at home and away. Galaxy will have a slight home-field advantage playing in Polokwane on Saturday because they are much closer to the venue than Durban. However, advantages and past performances often mean little in a cup final.
Durban's assistant coach, Ashraf Hendricks, confirmed that their entire squad is fit and ready for the final, with star striker Joslin Kamatuka returning from injury and hoping to get some game time. Kamatuka — who steered the team from the NFD into the PSL with his classy touch — has generally been used as a substitute forward this season, with Jean Lwamba likely to start the game.
At the back, Durban will field their usual four: Felize Gaba, Ncanana, Mashego, and Mfanafuthi Mkhize. Recent injuries and suspensions forced Durban to shuffle their defence in several encounters, which brought some instability to their usually flowing state.
"Look, we've beaten them twice already this season, but going into this cup final, I don't expect it to be an easy match. It's a final, after all," Ncanana said.
"Our recent form in the league doesn't affect us because we have won so many games. I think we just didn't get the positive results in those few games, so it doesn't affect us in any way," he added.
"Winning this will mean a lot for the club, for the fans, and for us as players. I think it is for KZN as a whole. It is not just about the support from Durban City; it is now about KZN. So, us winning the trophy will be a good thing for the province."
Jehran Naidoo is sports reporter for Independent Media and social media coordinator of the our YouTube channel The Clutch.