Dladla Urges Respect For Casric Ahead Of Semi-Final

Durban City coach Pitso Dladla has urged his side to respect Casric Stars ahead of their highly anticipated Nedbank Cup semi-final clash.

Dladla praised Casric for their impressive run in the tournament, saying their achievements show they are a dangerous opponent.

Dladla took charge of Durban City in late January, replacing Sinethemba Badela, who had himself stepped in following the departure of Gavin Hunt in December.

City dramatically reached the semi-finals, drawing all three of their matches before progressing via penalty shootouts against Chippa United, Upington City FC, and Golden Arrows.

Casric Stars, meanwhile, produced one of the biggest stories of the competition after eliminating heavyweights Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu to book their place in the last four.

Dladla believes the semi-final stage levels the playing field and says every team left in the competition deserves equal respect.

“At this stage, the most important thing for us was getting a home fixture,” said Dladla. “But in terms of which team we face, I think all the teams at this stage are the same.”

The semi-final clash will take place in Durban, with Chatsworth Stadium set to host the match early next month.

The winner of the tie will face either Milford or TS Galaxy in the final.

“I don’t want to focus too much on the teams Casric Stars have already played,” Dladla added.

“But if you look at them, they are a very good team. They have reached the playoffs twice, which shows they have quality players.

“They also have a good technical team and are well managed. So we must give them the respect they deserve and make sure we prepare well.”