The Doctor Is In: Gynecologist On How He Transformed Milford
Milford coach Xanti Pupuma says his side can handle the pressure ahead of Saturday’s crucial PSL promotion playoff clash against Cape Town City, where a victory will put the KZN outfit on the brink of the Betway Premiership.
The KZN outfit maintained their perfect start to the playoffs on Wednesday, securing two wins from two matches by defeating Magesi FC with a dramatic late strike at the Umhlathuze Sports Complex.
Second-half substitute Khanyisani Radebe proved to be the hero. Radebe composed himself beautifully to shield the ball before firing home a 90th-minute winner, sending the Milford players and home fans into absolute ecstasy.
The result leaves Milford sitting pretty at the top of the mini-league standings with a maximum of six points from two matches—three ahead of second-place Magesi and six clear of bottom side Spurs.
A victory over the Cape side on Saturday will put the club on the absolute brink of automatic promotion to the Betway Premiership ahead of next season.
“You saw the people who were here; the pressure was immense,” Pupuma said after the final whistle on the club’s website.
“With where we are now and the expectations we created earlier this year—especially during our historic Nedbank Cup run—we have naturally put pressure on ourselves. People expect us to deliver now. But we are used to pressure. Hopefully, the boys can continue to adapt, play through it, and execute what we need on Saturday. It is too close now to let it go.”
In previous seasons, Milford’s management routinely shuffled the technical bench due to poor results. This included parting ways with tacticians like Mandla Qogi, who previously worked within the Orlando Pirates development structures.
However, Pupuma has consistently stepped up as the club’s ultimate firefighter during those turbulent periods.
Remarkably, Pupuma balances his football responsibilities with his full-time profession as a practicing gynecologist, meaning he cannot spend every day on the training pitch during the week. Despite his limited time, he highlights that a deep-rooted sense of unity has carried the squad this season.
“In the previous two seasons, we had to change the technical team mid-season because things weren’t working,” Pupuma explained.
“But this season, the boys have responded brilliantly. We have built genuine trust. When things don’t go our way, we suffer together. And when we win, we celebrate together as one unit.”
