Former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund says the Telkom Knockout quarter-final matches offer a thrilling weekend of football.
Having won the competition with SuperSport United three seasons ago, Igesund has backed defending champions Bidvest Wits, Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs to reach the next stage.
“Look, Chiefs supporters will have to be patient to get a trophy and they are fresh from a loss in the Soweto Derby,” Igesund told Goal.
“They will be desperate for a win and it will not be easy against SuperSport. They are a tough nut to crack and they do well in cup games,” he explained.
“I can say it's going to be a tough clash, but Chiefs might edge this one out...SuperSport have injury issues for now and Chiefs will want to bounce back after losing to Pirates and it will be very important to get a result,” he said.
On the other hand, the Brazilians managed to beat Bloemfontein Celtic in the first round and will meet Baroka FC on Saturday afternoon, and Igesund tips coach Pitso Mosimane's men to emerge as victors.
“I think Sundowns will be too much for Baroka, they have quality and we all know they lost some of their key players and Pitso is trying to regain their momentum,” continued the former Manning Rangers mentor.
“It's not easy to win whilst doing all of that and they have won their past two games with a single goal, but he made good signings and it will take a while to get combinations,” backed Igesund.
“I think they will win this one and they might have too much for Baroka, but they (Baroka) also have nothing to lose against Sundowns as this might be a game to turn their season around,” he noted.
Speaking about Premier Soccer League (PSL) log leaders and the tournaments defending champions, Wits, the Durban-born coach has picked the Clever Boys to edge out Maritzburg United at the Harry Gwala Stadium.
“Maritzburg played well last season above themselves, but are having a tough season so far and facing a team that is doing well and it will be very difficult for them,” responded Igesund.
“Wits are playing good football at the moment and are a results orientated team. They are trying to amass a few points in the league to challenge for the title. I think the only advantage for Maritzburg is the home ground because Wits are a disciplined team and tough to break down,” added the former Moroka Swallows boss.
Finally, the former Buccaneers' mentor believes that coach Milutin Sredojevic's men have boosted by their win over Chiefs, but say that Pirates should still remain wary of Usuthu.
“AmaZulu played very well to beat Cape Town City and will hope to do well once again, but they will have their work cut out for them,” warned the 62-year-old.
“The bottom line is that they are facing a Pirates team coming from a win in the Derby....the crowd will be good in Durban and Pirates will need to keep their feet on the ground and put the game against Chiefs behind them,” Igesund explained.
“They have a new challenge ahead of them, but they Pirates are favourites and will be confident to overcome AmaZulu – but we can't just discount AmaZulu because they can be a tricky customer at home,” he said.
“It will be a fantastic weekend of football and I can predict that Chiefs, Wits, Sundowns and Pirates will go through,” concluded Igesund.
