Crystal Lake FC chairman Magic Nyalungu has promised to knock Soweto Giants Orlando Pirates out of the Nedbank Cup.
As reported by KickOff, The less than a year old amateur club from the Mpumalanga province has a dream date with the Nedbank Cup defending champions at Mbombela Stadium at 15:00 on Saturday 24 February 2024.
Nyalungu, who os a big fan of Pirates arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs, says it's been his childhood dream to break the hearts the Buccaneers.
READ | OFFICIAL: Pirates' Nedbank Cup opponents revealed
"The team was formed last year in July, and in four months it qualified for the Nedbank Cup last 32, it's a baby that never crawled," Nyalungu tells KickOff.
"We are playing in the HollywoodBets, formerly known as SAB League. We bought a status.
"Obviously at this level teams are made up of school kids. But we have our full team with us.
"Those that are working have requested some leaves, and through God's grace, all of them were granted.
"Those who are still at school we wrote letters to their principals, and all of them allowed the boys to join us in camp.
"We are in Polokwane right now, we are right here next to Peter Mokaba Stadium preparing for Pirates.
"In Mpumalanga we are from Ximhungwe in Bushbuckridge. And all our players are not getting paid a salary.
"No contracts have been signed, if a player wants to leave they just leave, no problem.
"Now these boys have a chance to prove themselves on the bigger stage of South African football.
"Mbombela Stadium is gonna be packed, Bushbuckridge is huge and people are going to come in numbers.
"The boys are in good mood, and looking forward to beating Pirates. Yes, nerves are going to be there, they will be playing against their role models.
"We are on the verge of getting a football psychologist for them, beating Orlando Pirates will make Bushbuckridge big.
"We are confident we are going to win against Orlando Pirates. We have what it takes to do it. Maluti FET College did it in 2013. Why not us? We are only going to talk about compensating the boys after the game.
"I'm a Kaizer Chiefs fan, that's why I'm even more motivated to beat Orlando Pirates. And 60 percent of the team supports Orlando Pirates. It's gonna be epic.
"We got here by beating Middelburg United who were the champions of the ABC Motsepe League, we won 1-0 and qualified for the last 32.
"So Middelburg United were protesting about our Physio, a team doctor that is not on the team sheet, when in fact in a pre-match meeting, I discussed it with the match commissioner.
"Since we are hosting this game, and as per Rule 5.7, it's the responsibility of the home team to provide extra personnel and get in touch with the nearest police station.
"So we did that to cater the game, it was not a team doctor for Crystal Lake but a match doctor.
"The reason their protest was dismissed it's because it was not valid, you cannot file a protest without the signature of the opposition team's captain. It's impossible.
"Without the signature of the captain, there is no protest. So on their report, they wrote that the captain refused to sign. But the match commissioner said, there is nothing of that nature. They were just trying to find a loophole."
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
Click HERE to register!