Cape Town - Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) produced the second Nedbank Cup upset of the weekend after they edged Lamontville Golden Arrows 7-6 in a nail-biting penalty shoot-out on Saturday evening at the Thohoyandou Stadium.
The teams were level-pegging after 90 minutes of regulation time. Extra time followed, but the additional 30 minutes failed to produce a deciding score. As a result, the dreaded penalty shoot-out followed, and the GladAfrica Championship side TTM sent Premiership outfit Arrows packing 7-6 after a sudden death penalty shoot-out.
TTM will now join fellow GladAfrica Championship rivals University of Pretoria (Tuks) in the next round. Tuks scored an upset 2-0 win over Premiership side Chippa United in their Round of 32 clash on Friday afternoon.
It was a game of two halves, with Arrows dominant in the opening stanza, and TTM showed improved form after the break.
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Arrows had an abundance of good first-half scoring opportunities and could have settled the match as a contest by the break, but they failed to exploit their good fortune.
TTM were happy for Arrows to come at them, and they absorbed the pressure. They held out to have a clean sheet by the time the halftime whistle sounded.
When the second-half play started, TTM sounded a warning as they exerted the pressure. Just past the hour mark, they grabbed the lead through debutant Tshepo 'Skhwama' Matete, who scored with a deft header after connecting with Joshua Netshilindi's cross into the striking zone.
The 30-year-old left-winger Matete has been without a club for the past year but was snapped up by TTM after a recent trial at the club.
Former AmaZulu midfielder Pule Mmodi set up the equaliser for the KwaZulu-Natal visitors after his strike was blocked. However, teammate Siboniso Conco pounced to score the vital goal for a 1-all stalemate near the end of regulation time.
How good was this header from Tshepo Matete? 🎯 The celebration though 😅 #NedbankCuppic.twitter.com/m8F7lyCEWL
In the sudden-death phase TTM, who won the Nedbank Cup last season, ran out 7-6 winners in a drama-filled penalty shoot-out.
Meanwhile, in Sunday's only match, Orlando Pirates will begin their quest to win the Nedbank Cup for the first time since 2014 when they take on AmaZulu in the Round of 32 at the Orlando Stadium.
The Buccaneers have won the competition twice, with their first success coming in 2011 when they beat Black Leopards 3-1 in the final. Three years later, Pirates lifted the trophy once more after seeing off the challenge of Bidvest Wits in the final, with a 3-1 victory.
The Soweto giants would go on to reach back-to-back finals in 2016 and 2017 but lost to SuperSport United on both occasions.