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The fairytale continues for Botshabelo-based football outfit D’ General FC and coach Morena “Festy” Lothane in this year’s Nedbank Cup. The increasingly illustrious side managed to secure a last-16 berth in the lucrative tournament by convincingly hammering lacklustre Limpopo-based team Madridtas FC 2 – 0 in a thriller last-32 group encounter played in the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein yesterday.
Charles Sikhosana and Tladi Makhetha scored the all-important goals in each stanza of the fixture, attended by a crowd of approximately 17 000 in the 46 000-seater stadium in the Free State capital.
These goals proved vital to D’ General continuing its ambitious quest for cup glory.
The club’s shot stopper Paseka Hlalele proved equal to the task of aiding his team’s victory, making some breathtaking saves that ensured D’ General’s first-ever progress to the last-16 group of the Nedbank Cup.
With this achievement, the club becomes the fourth from the Free State to reach the last-16 group stage. The other three clubs to achieve this feat are the now defunct Roses United FC and Maluti FET College, with the latest being Mathaithai FC, in 2022.
D’ General is one of only two minnows from the ABC Motsepe League that is through to the last-16 group, with the other being the Eastern Cape’s FC Ravens. Ravens beat Spain FC 3 – 1 to progress.
Lothane and his warriors’ immediate target is to become the first Free State second-tier club to reach the quarter-final.
D’ General’s progression to the last-16 group sees Lothane guiding a second team from Botshabelo to this stage in the Nedbank Cup. The first time he achieved this feat was as the coach of Mathaithai in 2022.
Gutsy D’ General’s success has duly rewarded the loyalty of the multitudes of supporters in the Free State who are starved for football. The roaring fans who descended on the stadium inspired the players to rise to the occasion, and were joyous see them progress to the last-16 group.
D’ General will know its opponents in the last-16 group this week, when the draw is conducted.
