Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila head coach Lucky Nelukau insists the 2022 Nedbank Cup is theirs to defend and not neighbours Marumo, as it’s officially known.
TTM was sold to Limpopo businessman Abram Sello before their historic Nedbank triumph in May 2021 in Bloemfontein.
Sello renamed the club Marumo Gallants just before the current season commenced. Marumo went on to represent South Africa in the CAF Confederations Cup but were eliminated in the play-off round by Congolese giants TP Mazembe.
But Nelukau suggests that there shouldn’t be any confusion about who is the defending Champions as the ‘original’ club that won the trophy still exists.
“Marumo are not the defending champions, if you can read the name in the cup it’s TTM and we are still TTM,” said Nelukau ahead of their quarterfinal fixture against SuperSport United in Thohoyandou on Friday.
“I don’t know why you are talking about Marumo. They are not the defending Champions. The defending Champions are TTM, not Marumo, it’s TTM.
“There is no current TTM (or old TTM), TTM is the same. The team that won the Nedbank Cup was Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila under our leadership. I am the one who beat SuperSport when we qualified for the quarterfinals. They just took the team over,” he said.
“Each and every player, I am the one who signed those players. I am the one who was coaching those players. The likes of (Rhulani) Manzini, (Diamond) Thopola, they were there when we were playing so that’s why I am saying it’s TTM.”
Club captain Rhulani Manzini also shares his coach’s sentiments.
“For sure and he is right. The club is written TTM, so when the tournament ended last season, it was TTM so Marumo Gallants don’t have a Cup,” said Manzini during the club’s media open day held at their training grounds in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo this week.
The match between TTM and SuperSport will be the first domestic fixture to see fans return to the stadium after two years since the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic.
Tickets are being sold at ticketpro at R40 each.
