Pupuma Reacts After Nedbank Cup Shock Win Over Sekhukhune
Milford coach Xanti Pupuma has expressed his delight after his side produced a major upset by knocking Sekhukhune United out of the Nedbank Cup.
Milford held their nerve to eliminate the Limpopo-based side, winning 3-2 on penalties after a hard-fought encounter at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday to secure a place in the semi-finals.
It marks the first time that Milford FC have reached the last four of the competition, although the club has previously produced memorable cup upsets, including eliminating Kaizer Chiefs in earlier rounds.
“Who wouldn’t be happy about reaching the semi-finals of any cup competition?” said Pupuma as quoted on the club’s website.
“There are teams playing in the PSL, and for us to reach the last four is great. It’s great for the brand.
“It’s also great for the players because they get to showcase their talent a little bit more. For the coach it can be a bit frustrating [because it creates a headache], but that’s football.”
The Nedbank Cup semi-final draw is scheduled to take place on Monday night, where they will be paired with one of the Casric Stars, TS Galaxy, or Durban City.
However, Milford’s cup success comes at a time when the club is pushing hard for promotion to the Betway Premiership from the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
Milford have recently been replaced at the top of the Championship standings by Kruger United, who have played one more match and sit on 37 points after 20 games.
The KwaZulu-Natal club is now second on the table with 36 points from 19 matches. They face another crucial test on Tuesday against promotion rivals Cape Town City FC, who currently occupy third place.
Pupuma admitted that balancing the demands of the cup run and the promotion race has created a selection headache.
“I think the challenge with that question is how you tell players not to give their all in a game,” he explained.
“You can’t say, ‘Let’s just show up today, we don’t have to win this because we need to focus on the league.’ If you do that, they won’t take the next games seriously.
“So, within the Milford setup, every game is important. We play to win every match. What happens afterwards, we deal with it when it comes.
“I believe that God will not give me something I cannot handle. Somehow, I will find a way to deal with it.
“We have quite a big squad and we’ve been rotating players between league and cup matches. That gives other players an opportunity to get game time.
“Our approach will not change now that we are in the semi-finals. The league remains the priority, but we will still give everything in the cup and try to win it.”
