Manchester City manager Mark Hughes will be hoping to put the 1993 memories of defeat behind him and experience his first win on South African soil when the Barclays English Premiership club join in the 10th anniversary of the Vodacom Challenge from 18 – 25 July.

The former Welsh international goal-getter has promised that the Blues will bring their best available squad to take up the challenge against Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs. He saw a bit of the Soweto giants when he played in the colours of Manchester United in a four-team tournament that included North London club Arsenal, back in 1993.

Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners over the men from Old Trafford in a match at Ellis Park by two highly-debatable first half penalties slotted home by former England international Ian Wright – the father of current Manchester City striker Shaun Wright-Phillips.

It was this match that will be best remembered for the sending-off of Manchester United’s captain Bryan Robson by local referee Errol Sweeney, after the midfielder told the match official that ‘it was now Manchester United’s turn for a gift’.

This time though it’s Mark Hughes the manager, having swapped his playing kit for a suit and tie. A home victory over Bolton Wanderers in their final league fixture of the season on Sunday will see the club finish in the top half of the table. Reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup this season has also been a highlight.

As one of the world’s richest clubs following the purchase of the team last September by the UAE based Abu Dhabi United Group, soccer fans are waiting in anticipation to see which players will be signed to bolster the squad for the new season. Preparations begin with a fortnight of training in Manchester and a trip to Hamburg in Germany for sports science testing of the players, before heading out to South Africa.

“Our Brazilian forward Robinho scored 14 goals for us in league matches to date and following his return from representing his country at the FIFA Confederations Cup in SA, we will assess his fitness and shape and hopefully bring him with for Vodacom Challenge action,” said Hughes, who took over the managerial role at Manchester City after moving over from Blackburn Rovers last season.

Other Manchester City players who could make a major impression on the local football fans and help their club mount a serious early-season onslaught for Vodacom Challenge honours include Irish attacking midfielder Stephen Ireland (9 league goals this season), Welsh international striker Craig Bellamy (8 league goals this season) and England international forward Wright-Phillips (5 league goals this season).

Other key players who are expected to be on the trip to South Africa in July include experienced goalkeeper Shay Given and Zimbabwean international striker and former Jomo Cosmos player Benjani Mwaruwari.

Manchester City’s only previous trip to South Africa was on a pre-season tour in 1993, in which they beat Santos 1-0 in Cape Town and played to a 1-all draw with Manning Rangers in Chatsworth, near Durban.

The visitors will open their Vodacom Challenge campaign against Orlando Pirates on Saturday, 18 July, before taking on Kaizer Chiefs on Tuesday, 21 July.

Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will meet in the traditional Vodacom Challenge derby in Port Elizabeth two days later to decide which team will face Manchester City in the grand finale on Saturday, 25 July.

The tournament will once again highlight the Vodacom Foundation’s Goals for Miracles campaign, through which funds for cataract operations for disadvantaged elderly people are raised.

For every goal scored in regulation time during the Vodacom Challenge, Vodacom Foundation will contribute R150 000 to Goals for Miracles. The goal-scoring feats of Manchester City, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs will thus help to restore the sight of hundreds of senior citizens, thereby improving their quality of life.

The cataract operations are provided by three beneficiaries of Goals of Miracles: the South African National Council for the Blind, Netcare, and the Pretoria Eye Institute. Vodacom Foundation provided funding of R3.7 million in 2008 to enable the three beneficiary organisations to perform cataract operations.

The funding meant that more than 1700 elderly people received cataract operations during 2008 Eye Care Awareness Week in October. This brought the total number of cataract operations performed since 2004 to nearly 4 000.