Was it Muthi? Casric Stars keeper Wandile Mthombeni reveals secret behind the famous signature in Nedbank Cup win over favourites Orlando Pirates

Orlando Pirates beat Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila 4-1 in the Round of 32 to advance, while Casric Stars booked their Round of 16 ticket with a 3-0 win over Army Rocket.

When the duo was paired together in the next phase, the majority anticipated Bucs' win owing to their quality and form in domestic competitions. 

The script didn't go as expected owing to Casric Stars' resilience at the Orlando Amstel Arena.

Both teams failed to get a goal in regulation and extra time, meaning the penalties were the only way to find the winner.

That is when Tshigwana Wandile Mthombeni was seen squatting and scribbling on the ground. The shootout eventually ended 5-4 in his team's favour, frustrating thousands of the home supporters.  

"The last 48 hours have been crazy for me because my phone has been blowing up, especially with me writing on the ground. Everyone is curious, everyone wants to know what it's all about, but then I come from a family of believers, and we are a team of believers," he said as quoted by SABC Sport.

“We are very heavy on God, and what I was writing on the ground is three crosses, one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Spirit. After that, you just write a verse that's close to your heart, which at the time was Isaiah 60:22, when the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen. 

“That verse is close to my heart because I've been waiting for the longest time to get an opportunity to be the first choice and start games consistently. It took time, so at that moment it was a big moment for me, especially being an Orlando Pirates fan, playing at the stadium. 

“I've always dreamt of playing at that stadium, so that's why I just went there to play my heart out for the whole nation to see my talent, to see my potential," Mthombeni added.

In the quarter-final, The Believers will be up against another tough PSL team, AmaZulu, coached by former Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane.

"I think it's another tough fixture for us because we are playing a Betway Premiership side, just like the last game against Orlando Pirates. So, it's gonna be a tough one, especially playing away from home, considering that we haven't played at home in this tournament,” he conceded.

“I think after the Saturday game, we are highly motivated because we beat one of the best teams in the country at Orlando Stadium. 

“We haven't lost there in a very long time, and it was tough out there, it was really tough, but then we pushed through hard work, determination, confidence, so I think if we use the same mentality, attitude towards this game. We stand a huge chance to cause another upset," Mthombeni concluded.