Football
Nick Said, Special to ESPN 6y

PSL announce quarterfinal dates for Nedbank Cup

South Africa's Premier Soccer League has announced the dates and venues for the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup, the country's equivalent of the FA Cup.

The marquee fixture in the round will see Cape Town City host Mamelodi Sundowns at the Cape Town Stadium on April 1 in a fixture that has the feel of a final.

City have already had to overcome Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates to reach this stage, and now face potentially their biggest test yet.

Coach Benni McCarthy is hoping that Sundowns will be distracted by their league and African Champions League campaigns, allowing City to cash in.

"I think the Sundowns games is huge now. It's an unbelievable opportunity. We are two games away now from being in a final, another final," McCarthy told reporters.

"It's a chance to redeem ourselves, but a very formidable opponent stands in our way. I think an opponent that is easily as hungry for the silverware and wants to prove, but we couldn't have played them at a better time.

"They've shifted their attention to the Champions League and with Pirates winning at the weekend, reducing the deficit to one point only, and they know that they now need to win league matches to keep ahead, their priority may now have shifted more to the league than the Nedbank Cup.

"I think they will only really focus on the Nedbank Cup if they get to the final but before that maybe not as much."

Kaizer Chiefs are desperate for silverware as they host Baroka FC in their quarterfinal on March 31 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

It is a long way from their traditional home in Soweto, but is in keeping with the club's desire to take cup games into new markets. That match will kick-off at 20h15.

There are also two games that same afternoon with 15h30 kick-offs. National First Division side Ubuntu Cape Town, the only lower league team remaining in the competition, host Free State Stars at the Athlone Stadium.

And Maritzburg United continue their quest for a first ever trophy when they entertain Bloemfontein Celtic at the Harry Gwala Stadium.

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