How The “Class Of 2012” Coaches Are Plotting Against Each Other In The Nedbank Cup Final
Durban City assistant coach Ashraf Hendricks will draw on his experience from 14 years ago of winning a cup final when his side faces TS Galaxy in Saturday’s Nedbank Cup final.
Hendricks was part of the Moroka Swallows team that stunned many by winning the MTN8 in the 2012/13 season against all odds under coach Zeca Marques, beating SuperSport United in the final at Orlando Amstel Arena.
Swallows navigated a difficult path to the final, starting with a 2-0 home win over AmaZulu in the quarter-finals. They had earned home advantage after finishing second in the previous season under Gordon Igesund, narrowly losing the 2011/12 league title to Orlando Pirates on the final day.
They were then drawn against Mamelodi Sundowns in a two-legged semi-final. In the first leg in Pretoria, Swallows held their own in a thrilling 3-3 draw, with Hendricks among the scorers alongside Bennett Chenene and Felix Obada.
In the second leg, despite holding the advantage of away goals, Swallows pushed for an outright win. Lerato Chabangu scored twice, while Obada added another to secure a 3-2 victory on the night and a 6-5 aggregate triumph.
They eliminated a Sundowns side that had been in dominant form, having thrashed Kaizer Chiefs 4-0 in the quarter-finals—Stuart Baxter’s first game in charge.
In the final in Soweto, Swallows fell behind as early as the fourth minute through Franklyn Cale’s strike. However, they responded in the 18th minute with a superb long-range equaliser from Georgian international Giorgi Nergadze.
Chenene sealed the victory in the 85th minute, delicately flicking the ball over goalkeeper Rowan Fernandez—now part of the Durban City technical team as a goalkeeper coach—to secure the trophy.
Back then, Greg Etafia was in goal for Swallows, but he will now be in the opposing camp as TS Galaxy’s goalkeeper coach.
The three members of that 2012 Swallows team (Hendricks, Fernandez, and Etafia) are all on the touchline this Saturday, but split across two benches.
Drawing from that experience, Hendricks emphasised that cup finals are decided by determination on the day.
“Cup games are about who wants it more on the day,” said Hendricks.
“At the end of the day, that is what we have to instil in these players—that understanding.”
Durban City are considered favourites, not only because of their league position but also because they have beaten Galaxy in both league meetings this season. However, Hendricks dismissed the significance of those results.
“If you go into the game thinking we have beaten them before and it will be easy, then that is the wrong mindset,” he said.
“We want to go in there knowing this is a cup final—90 minutes, not 120—and make sure we win it on the day.”
