Stellenbosch and Swallows will do battle for a place in the next round of the lucrative Nedbank Cup.
More top-flight casualties are expected following the exits of Richards Bay and SuperSport United. In this 3pm kick-off, another one will bite the dust.
Stellies have a poor record; they have only made it beyond the opening round once and that was five years ago.
Now they recently came into form after they halted a worrying nine-match winless streak. It was back-to-back victories over Cape Town City and Chippa United that have lifted the spirits going into this tie.
“I think if you get past the first hurdle and into last 16 and then one more game and into the last eight, then I do think the mood will pick up,” coach Steve Barker said.
“For the players the fact they may have a chance of getting to a final, that will galvanise us and push us forward. We believe at some stage we have to have a good cup run and reach the semifinal or the final. So I’m hoping that this will be the season.”
The Dube Birds have a good pedigree in the Nedbank Cup as former champions in 2009, while they also lifted the trophy four times during its previous iterations.
However, the Soweto outfit haven’t gone further than the round of 16 since their triumph.
Results have improved slightly following the appointment of Ernst Middendorp as head coach in December, with Swallows losing just one of their last five league matches and keeping four clean sheets in the process.
Saturday 11 February
15:00: Black Cross v Venda Football Academy
15:00: Golden Arrows v Pretoria Callies
15:00: Mpheni Home Defenders v Clarewood JPM
15:00: Stellenbosch FC v Swallows FC
20:00: All Stars v Orlando Pirates
Sunday 12 February
15:00: AmaZulu v Tornado FC
15:00: Mkhambathi FC v Casric Stars
15:00: TS Galaxy v Amavarara
18:00: Cape Town City v Royal AM