Nedbank is back

The 2012/13 Nedbank Cup round of 32 draw took place on Monday, 14 January 2013 and has again created excitement amongst South African soccer fans with a couple of mouth-watering clashes lined up. 

The 16 teams from the Premier Division of the Premier Soccer League(PSL) and the eight teams from the National First Division (NFD) and SAFA ranks respectively will kick-off proceedings on 22 February. 

The sixth edition of the Nedbank Cup will see 32 teams battle it out for top honours over a three month period to decide the eventual winner on Saturday 25 May. As the NFD Nedbank Cup qualifying leg has not been played yet, all 16 NFD teams were included in the draw. 

The PSL has confirmed that the NFD Qualification will be concluded on 13 February 2013. PSL Acting CEO, Cambridge Mokanyane said: 

“Throughout the years, the Nedbank Cup has been used as a launch-pad for careers of many of our football stars in this country. As the League, our goal is to discover new talent that will add value to our football. In Nedbank, we have a partner that shares the same enthusiasm and passion for development and football. In the 2011/12 Nedbank Cup, a total of 95 goals were scored from 31 games.” 

Nedbank confirmed its commitment to South African football at the end of 2012 by renewing their sponsorship agreement with the PSL for a further period of five years. “One of our objectives is to be a bank for all South Africans and soccer has proven to be a great platform to connect with the communities we serve. The bank will continue to make a positive contribution towards empowering soccer stars and communities with the skills and resources they need to make things happen,” said Thulani Sibeko, Group Executive for Marketing, Communication and Corporate Affairs at Nedbank. 

The Nedbank Cup was launched in 2008 and since inception, has contributed to the development of young talent, and given deserving players from the NFD and SAFA ranks the opportunity to make their mark by testing their skills against teams from the PSL. Within five years, the Nedbank Cup became a premier cup competition filled with many memorable moments for the fans, teams and players. 

In addition, the Nedbank Cup also benefits schools and communities around the country. Last year, Nedbank donated R200 000 to the MC Weiler School in Alexandra to assist in