Milford coach Xanti Pupuma is aiming to spring a surprise on TS Galaxy when the two sides meet in the Nedbank Cup semi-final this weekend, saying his team holds an advantage as their opponents have limited information about them.
The Motsepe Foundation Championship side, who are also pushing for promotion this season, will travel to face Galaxy at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Sunday (15:00), with the winner advancing to the final.
The other semi-final will see Durban City host giant-killers Casric Stars at Chatsworth Stadium on Saturday (15:00).
“We know TS Galaxy—we’ve watched them many times, so it’s not something we can say we don’t understand about them,” said Pupuma on the club website.
“It’s about what we bring on the day, trying to compete at that level, and hopefully God will be on our side. But we have to show up.
“Having said that, I don’t think they know much about us, and it’s our opportunity to surprise them. Let’s see how they react to us, and how we respond to their approach.”
Like Galaxy, Milford have already knocked out a top-flight side—Sekhukhune United—on their way to this stage of the competition.
Galaxy, who won the competition in 2019, defeated Mamelodi Sundowns in the round of 16 en route to the semi-finals.
Pupuma, who appears to relish the Nedbank Cup, was asked about his game plan for Sunday.
“We just have to play, enjoy ourselves, and give our best,” he said.
He added: “The dream is to reach the final and hopefully lift the cup at the end of the day. That’s the dream for everyone, including this team.”
On the team’s broader ambitions, he said: “Our main objective is promotion, and we are using the cup as an opportunity to give fringe players game time and minutes on the field.
“Fortunately for us, our league form has carried over into the cup, which has helped us progress.
“We can’t ignore the fact that we’re at this stage now, and these matches are just as important as our league games.
“It’s a dream for everyone because we didn’t expect to go this far, but now that we are here, we want to take it to the next level.”
