Milford FC chairman and head coach Dr Xanti Pupuma has revealed why an all-Motsepe Foundation Championship showdown against Casric Stars would be his “dream” Nedbank Cup final.
Both promotion-chasing outfits secured their passage to the semi-finals on Saturday, pulling off massive upsets against Betway Premiership opposition. While Milford dumped Sekhukhune United out at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, Casric Stars silenced the Moses Mabhida Stadium by shocking AmaZulu FC.
Following their giant-killing exploits, the MFC duo now await the conclusion of the quarter-final stage on Sunday to discover their final-four opponents. The remaining fixtures see TS Galaxy host Jacksa Spears, while a high-stakes KZN Derby looms between Durban City FC and Golden Arrows.
Speaking after the win against Sekhukhune in Polokwane, Pupuma said a final against Casric would be ideal for him.
WHY DR XANTI PUPUMA WANTS A FINAL AGAINST CASRIC STARS
“What would be great would be for Casric and Milford to play the final,” he told Journalists. “That would be nice. I don’t know if the stadium would be full, but at least you would have two MFC [Motsepe Foundation Championship] teams knocking it out in a PSL final. That would be nice.
“But at this stage, we really appreciate being where we are. It doesn’t really matter who comes. Whoever comes, we will give the same respect that we gave Sekhukhune and try to apply ourselves as much as possible. Stick to our play and enjoy the game,” he added.
MILFORD FC USED NEDBANK CUP TIE AS MOTIVATION GOING INTO THE LEAGUE.
“We always viewed this [Sekhukhune] game, especially after the loss last week [against Midlands Wanderers], as a motivation,” revealed the Milford coach.
“So it will really help the spirit, and the camp is going to Cape Town and then Mpumalanga. For getting into the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup, who wouldn’t be happy going to a semi-final of any cup? You know there are teams that are playing in the Betway Premiership, and they haven’t touched such.
“So for us to move into the last four is great for the brand, the players, as they get to expose their talent a little bit more. It’s a bit frustrating for the coach, but what can we do? We are in football.”
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