Royal AM head coach John Maduka has revealed what delights him about their Nedbank Cup Last 32 draw against AmaZulu FC.
The Nedbank Cup will commence next month after AFCON with it being the last cup competition of the 2023/24 campaign. Thwihli Thwahla didn’t take part in the MTN8 having finished outside the top half of the 2022/23 season.
Meanwhile, in the Carling Knockout Cup, they were eliminated by Sekhukhune United in the first round. Maduka says the Nedbank Cup is one last opportunity to lift the trophy this season.
The Malawian tactician was relieved not to have been drawn against lower league teams, admitting that they are hard to prepare for. He feels that facing AmaZulu would be much better because they already know them in the top-flight.
JOHN MADUKA REACTS TO NEDBANK CUP DRAW
“Very interesting one, we’re looking forward to that particular game,” Maduka told the club’s media department.
“It’s one cup left in the league, it’s one cup we’d love one day to do well to take it. And this is an opportunity for us to make sure that we go all out.
“And for us to be able to go all out, we take one game at a time. And playing against AmaZulu in this cup game, it’s fine because it’s an opponent that we know.
“Sometimes, it’s very difficult that we play against a team that we don’t have the idea of. With AmaZulu or any PSL team, it’s a team that we play week in and week out against each other.
“We see them, they see us week in and week out. So, it becomes okay for us to prepare.”
Usuthu hammered Royal AM with a 3-0 scoreline in December in the DStv Premiership. Maduka insisted they wouldn’t approach the match with the mentality to avenge that defeat.
‘IT’S NOT REALLY A REVENGE’
“It’s not really revenge, us as a team, we want to go there and make sure that we win the game so that we go to the next stage,” he added.
“It’s a different ball game, it’s not a league game, it’s a cup game that on the day one team has to win. We just need to prepare well and we go all out and make sure that we do well in that particular game.”
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