Milford chairman and coach Xanti Pupuma says he expected the intensity of the Motsepe Foundation Championship to prove decisive against Mkhambathi in their Nedbank Cup round of 16 clash.
The KwaZulu-Natal side raised their level in the second half to secure a 3-0 victory over the lower-division outfit at the uMhlathuze Sports Complex in the Ke Yona Cup on Sunday.
Milford will now await Monday’s quarter-final draw, but Pupuma reiterated that winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship title — and securing promotion — remains the club’s primary objective.
“I think that was the determining factor,” said Pupuma after the match.
“We have been closing games out well, except for one against Highbury. But throughout the season, we’ve tended to raise the intensity in the last 30 minutes, which we did again.
“They couldn’t cope. Because they are not in the same division as us, they struggled to deal with that intensity, and that was probably the difference.”
Milford have joined Golden Arrows, AmaZulu FC, Sekhukhune United, TS Galaxy, Casric Stars, Jacksa Spears, and Durban City FC in the quarter-finals.
With cup kings Orlando Pirates already eliminated, along with Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns — who have shared the Ke Yona Cup over the past four seasons — this year’s tournament presents a genuine opportunity for an underdog to make history.
“I’m just hoping for a home game, that’s all,” Pupuma added.
“Anyone can come, as long as it’s a home draw. But there are some strong teams left — Golden Arrows, AmaZulu are playing very well, TS Galaxy are playing very well — so we know it won’t be easy.
“You need a bit of luck to go that far. We are happy where we are. We want to win the next game and, of course, we always play to win. But I cannot fault the boys if we don’t do well in the next round.”
