Sekhukhune United head coach Eric Tinkler has explained why it’s difficult to face Motsepe Foundation Championship teams in the Nedbank Cup.
Babina Noko is gearing up for a tough encounter against Milford FC in the quarter-final of the Nedbank Cup, eyeing a spot in the last four of the competition. Sekhukhune are shifting their focus to the cup action after playing to a 1-1 draw against Durban City FC in the Betway Premiership at Chatsworth Stadium this past Wednesday.
The Limpopo-based side will be looking to bounce back with a win over Milford at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday to move closer to clinching their first-ever trophy in South Africa’s top-flight.
On the road to the quarter-finals, Sekhukhune claimed wins over two NFD teams, defeating Highbury FC in the Round of 32 and AmaTuks in the Last 16 at Tuks Stadium.
Having stamped their authority against the lower division teams, Sekhukhune will be locking horns with another second-tier team. Interestingly, this time they are facing Milford, who have been on an impressive run of form. In addition, they are at the summit of the Motsepe Foundation table.
The KZN-based side is currently involved in a race to gain promotion to the Betway Premiership after collecting 36 points in 19 matches. Milford are fighting to gain promotion to the big league with teams such as Kruger United, Cape Town City FC, and Casric Stars.
WHAT TINKLER SAID ABOUT FACING LOWER DIVISION TEAMS
Tinkler has cautioned his charges against the dangers of complacency ahead of their clash with lower-league opposition. The veteran tactician suggested that Milford’s players will likely treat the encounter as a shop window, raising their performance levels as they aspire to reach the same heights as the Sekhukhune squad.
“I think obviously I’ve mentioned before [about facing lower division teams]. Sometimes, there is complacency from the PSL teams. What you do know is that those players playing for NFD teams are going to raise their game,” Tinkler said.
“They’re going to play with a lot of energy and effort because they all aspire to be where our players are. So if you don’t match their effort and the energy, it’s going to be difficult, you know. Quality doesn’t guarantee you anything, so you have to match their efforts.
“And that has been the struggle, we felt it against Highbury, we felt it against Tuks, but we managed to come through with positive results. This game [against Milford] is not going to be different, but we’re obviously playing a team that is top of the log, so it’s not going to be easy.”
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