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Cape Town - AmaZulu and Bloemfontein Celtic will meet for just their second competitive cup match when they clash in the last 16 of the Telkom Knockout at Princess Magogo Stadium.
Read: Middendorp's job not on the line
AmaZulu have yet to win a competitive match this season and suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Bidvest Wits in the league on the weekend and Craig Rosslee insisted that he will not quit because it is not in his nature to give up when the chips are down.
Celtic also suffered a loss, going down 3-0 away to SuperSport United for a third successive winless match.
AmaZulu were eliminated from last year’s Telkom Knockout in the last 16, losing 2-0 away to Free State Stars.
The Durban side has played 12 Telkom Knockout matches since the tournament’s inception in 2006, recording three wins, one draw and eight defeats. They won the only penalty shootout they have been involved in.
Usuthu’s best showing in the Telkom Knockout era arrived in the 2009/10 season when they reached the semifinals. They were beaten 2-0 by eventual runners-up Ajax Cape Town.
In League Cup history, AmaZulu have won the tournament once (1992).
Ernst Middendorp saw the defence of their Telkom Knockout crown came to an abrupt end in 2013 when Celtic were crushed 4-0 at home by Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Bloemfontein side has played 15 Telkom Knockout matches since the tournament’s inception in 2006, recording five wins, four draws and six defeats. They have won three of the four penalty shootouts they have been involved in.
Winning the tournament in 2012 was Celtic’s best achievement in the Telkom Knockout era and League Cup history overall, as they had never previously even reached the final.
In head-to-head stats, AmaZulu and Celtic have met in just one previous cup match in records heading back as far as 1985.
That encounter was a Telkom Knockout quarterfinal in 2007 that Phunya Sele Sele won 1-0 away from home.
Overall, the teams have clashed in 48 matches across all competitions since 1985.
Phunya Sele Sele have 19 wins compared to 12 for Usuthu, while 17 matches have been drawn.
AmaZulu have won 10 of their 24 home matches against Celtic, suffering seven defeats in the process.
However, one of those seven defeats arrived earlier this season when Phunya Sele Sele beat Usuthu 2-0 in Durban in a league match thanks to goals from Lerato Lamola and Frank Mhango.
Kick-off is at 20:15 on Saturday, October 4.
