Milford FC’s fairytale run in the Nedbank Cup came to an end on Sunday afternoon, but the chairman and head coach, Dr Xanti Pupuma, remained upbeat after their exit from the tournament.
The Motsepe Foundation Championship side bowed out of the competition after a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to TS Galaxy at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium in KwaMhlanga. The sides were deadlocked at 1-1 after 120 tiresome minutes of football.
Milford started the encounter with intent, silencing the home crowd in the 11th minute when Siphosethu Ndlabi found the back of the net to give the visitors the lead.
However, the Rockets fought back in the second half, with Victor Letsoalo netting the equaliser in the 55th minute. Despite both sides searching for a winner in regulation and extra time, both teams settled for a 1-1 stalemate.
DR XANTI PUPUMA RUES MISSED CHANCES IN THE GALAXY DEFEAT
Reflecting on the match, Dr Pupuma believes his side had the opportunities to secure a victory before the lottery of penalties.
Despite the exit, the Milford mentor expressed his pride in how his squad measured up against top-flight opposition.
Dr Pupuma went on to describe his club’s performance as a learning curve for his players’ development.
“We could have concluded this game in 90 minutes because we had a lot of chances that we needed to finish it off,” Pupuma said. “But there comes a time when it has been a long season,” Dr Pupuma told SuperSport TV.
“We will definitely take a lot of positives from this tournament. Even in the Galaxy game, I think the boys can see that they can actually compete with the Betway Premiership teams and play at the same level that is required.”
Meanwhile, Dr Pupuma admitted that while losing is never easy, the exit provides much time for his club to focus on their league campaign as they chase promotion to the Premiership.
“I’m not really frustrated about it [being eliminated]. It gives us the opportunity to focus on promotion, and hopefully, we will achieve it at the end of the day'” he added.
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