The A section tournament takes place in Cape Town from December 4 to 8 and Mandela University will field a team in each of the A and B divisions.
Anderson said most of the Madibaz players had been exposed to the rigors of USSA cricket, which should stand them in good stead over five days of tough competition.
He was confident that this experience coupled with consistency would be conducive to strong performances in the Mother City.
“I feel if we trust the processes put in place during our preparations and show self-belief, we have a good chance of doing well.”
The Madibaz will be able to count on the likes of skipper Christopher Gleaves and Ethan Frosler, who have the ability to impact matches with bat and ball.
“Of course, it will come down to a team effort in the end, so we are banking on all the players to produce,” Anderson said.
University of Pretoria had been the leading team over the past decade, but Anderson had an inkling that the venue might play more into the hands of the coastal teams.
Following the competition’s interruption due to Covid in 2020 and 2021, it was back to action last year and the Madibaz had a solid run to finish sixth out of 16 teams in Pretoria.
Cricket manager Sipho Sibande recalled spirited performances.
“We registered a memorable win over UP-Tuks, but then lost narrowly in a super over against NWU-Pukke to miss out on a semifinal spot.
“At the very least, we want to maintain our top-eight status, although the goal is to improve on that.”
He insisted preparations had gone well under the new coach and that they were looking forward to seeing the impact of his methods.
Pre-season strength, conditioning and visual training at the Madibaz high- performance complex on campus have already yielded results.
Eight teams contest each of the divisions, with each consisting of two pools of four.
Matches are played over 50 overs, with the top two in each pool qualifying for the semifinals of their respective divisions. Cross-pool playoffs between the remaining teams then decide the final standings.
The Madibaz football teams will be involved in USSA action from December 3 to 8. The men will be hosted by University of Western Cape and the women by Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
Madibaz football manager Mark Tommy said the teams had set themselves specific goals, with the men chasing a top eight after their event had all but rained out in 2022, skewing the final standings.
With the lockdown and weather-affected years now behind them, this year’s tournament would in effect be the first on a level playing field for some time, he said.
After being relegated last year, the women will compete in the B section. They are in a rebuilding phase with the objective of regaining A section status.