Current Coca-Cola Amateur Cup champions, Diadora FC, from Hanover Park, beat Table View FC 3-1 in their last round of 16 clash, at Rooikrans sports complex, in Grassy Park, at the weekend.
While Diadora’s coach drew confidence from his side, having secured a quarter-final spot in Safa Cape Town’s Coke Cup, the equally in-form Lavender Hill United possess a real danger for the defending champions’ quest to hold on to the prestigious title.
Mangaliso “Shakes” Ntombana has reason to be wary of Lavender Hill, whom they will meet in the quarter-finals.
Lavender Hill, a rising force from the southern suburbs, beat Phillipi’s Game Yethu FC 3-2 in their round of 16 fixture, played in front of one of the biggest crowds seen at Rooikrans in recent years.
Diadora, on the other hand, broke the hearts of Table View with Brandon Joshua, Siyambonga Madikane and Raees Raphael finding the target in his side’s 3-1 win after leading 1-0 at the break.
Added to the intrigue, history has it that former champions Jamestown United (1997-1998) and Premier United (2002 -2003) are the only two sides to have won back-to-back titles.
“I would have liked to have come up against Game Yethu as I was their former coach and it would have been a derby of note. But I have to concentrate on beating Lavender Hill. But I think the way we played against Table View was a good performance. But Lavender Hill poses new challenges which we need to work on. But I’m pretty confident of us beating them,” said Ntombana.
In other action, Hanover Park FC continued their successful run in the competition, disposing of Everton United with a 4-0 win.
Both Hanover Park and Diadora have shown promise and the prospect of the two teams from Hanover Park meeting in the final on Saturday October 14 looms large.
Both are grouped in different sections and could face each other in the final for the whopping R35 000 winner’s prize.
Hanover Park is scheduled to play against the University of the Western Cape in the next round.
The students scraped through with a penalty shootout win over fellow students and neighbours, Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) .
Senior results: Diadora FC 3, Table View 1; Wynberg St Johns 2, Kalksteenfontein United 0; Hazendal United 4, Bafana United 2; Hanover Park 4, Everton 0; Lavender Hill 3, Game Yethu 2; Goulburn United 2, Young Pirates 0; Westridge United 6, Salt River Blackpool 0; UWC 3, CPUT 1 (penalty shootout)
