Mthombeni Unfazed By Away Fixtures After Nedbank Cup Semi-Final Run
Casric Stars coach Bucks Mthombeni says he would welcome a home match in the Nedbank Cup, but insists his side has no problem continuing to play away from home.
All the matches that Casric Stars have played in the Ke Yona Cup this season have been away fixtures. They began their campaign by beating Black Leopards 1-0 in the first round.
They were then drawn against Orlando Pirates in the round of 16 and stunned the Soweto giants by eliminating them on penalties away from home.
This past weekend, Casric produced another upset by knocking out AmaZulu, winning 2-1 after extra time at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday to book their place in the semi-finals.
They will find out their next opponents during the semi-final draw on Monday, with Durban City FC, Milford FC, and TS Galaxy also waiting in the last four.
When asked if he hoped to finally get a home fixture after playing all their matches away, Mthombeni said his team would accept whatever the draw brings.
“No one knows God’s wishes. I’m sure God wants us to keep playing all our matches away,” said Mthombeni.
“Maybe He is waiting for a big opportunity for us to play at home. But we are not complaining about playing away, because if you move to Europe you need to adapt.
“The key thing is to adapt and still be able to play well when you are playing away.”
For the first time in five seasons, the Nedbank Cup will be won by a club outside the traditional ‘big three’ — Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, and Mamelodi Sundowns — since 2021, after all three giants were eliminated in the early rounds of this year’s competition.
Mthombeni was asked whether he was dreaming of going all the way and emulating TS Galaxy, who famously won the competition in 2019 as a lower-division side after beating Chiefs in the final.
“Let’s wait for the semi-final draw, and once we know who we are facing we will plan accordingly,” he said.
“But for now, we must focus on our league fixtures first because that is important.”
Casric are also pushing for promotion to the Betway Premiership from the Motsepe Foundation Championship, making the balance between cup success and league ambitions a key challenge for the team.
