Benni targeting Sundowns in Nedbank Cup last eight

Benni McCarthy has suggested that Mamelodi Sundowns’ focus might be diverted by their bid to regain their league title plus their desire for continental success‚ giving his Cape Town City a good chance for success in next weekend’s Nedbank Cup quarter-final.

City‚ who were embarrassingly dumped out of the African Confederation Cup last weekend‚ next host the league leaders in the last eight of the cup at the Cape Town Stadium.

The match is to be played either Saturday March 31 or Sunday April 1 with the Premier Soccer League yet to confirm the details.

“I think the Sundowns games is huge now. It’s an unbelievable opportunity. We are two games away now from being in a final‚ another final‚” he said‚ referring to City’s loss in the MTN8 decider in October when they were beaten on post-match penalties by SuperSport United in Durban.

“It’s a chance to redeem ourselves but a very formidable opponent stands in our way. I think an opponent that is hungry for the silverware and wants to prove but we couldn’t have played them at a better time.

“They’ve shifted their attention to the Champions League and with (Orlando) Pirates winning at the weekend‚ reducing the deficit to only one point‚ and they knowing that they now need to win league matches to keep ahead‚ their priority may now have shifted more to the league than the Nedbank Cup‚” suggested McCarthy.

He said that it was obvious from the fact Sundowns rested key players in their second round win over amateurs EC Bees.

“I think they will only really focus on the Nedbank Cup if they get to the final but before that maybe not as much. But they will have a stronger side against us. We ain’t EC Bees.

“But for me I was just delighted when I saw that our name came out of the hat first at the draw. I didn’t really care who we faced but we are at home and we are not traveling.”