18 January 2019 – Limpopo ABC Motsepe League side Boyne Tigers might not be a familiar name to many South Africans but they are a side with a rich history that dates back to the 1960s and have produced some notable star names.

These include current Orlando Pirates striker Thabiso Kutumela and club captain Thabo Mokgalushi, who previously played for Jomo Cosmos and has featured in the Nedbank Cup on a number of occasions.

The side hails from MacLean Farm in the Boyne area of Limpopo, hence the club name, which is a 45-minute drive from Polokwane.

They are coached by Goodwill Matsemela and despite their long history have only been playing officially in the league since 2007.

They draw largely on players from the local area and have a development team with a local high school that provides a pool of young talent, though as Matsemela points out, many promising stars are lost to the side when they go off for tertiary studies.

Tjakastad Junior Shepard FC

Mpumalanga ABC Motsepe League side Tjakastad Junior Shepard will be making their debut in the Nedbank Cup Last 32 this year and as they seek to put themselves on the South African football map.

The third-tier side is co-coached by Sibusiso Zulu and Velaphi Zulu, who are not related, and play at the Elukwatini Stadium in the Gert Sibande Municipality.

The club had been involved in playing local tournaments for many years, but decided to formally join the league in 2010, swiftly moving up through their LFA division to the SAB Regional League and into the ABC Motsepe League in 2014.

Their players mostly drawn from Mpumalanga, with none having featured in the top two tiers of South African football in the past, making them a true unknown quantity.

Junior Shepard are two points off the top of their ABC Motsepe League as at the start of December, but have the most miserly defence in the league with only four goals conceded in 13 games, suggesting they will be tough for any side to break down.