Milford coach Dr Xanti Pupuma admits drawing defending league champions Orlando Pirates on opening day is a brutal introduction to the big leagues, but insists his newly promoted side will not be overawed by the occasion.
The top-flight debutants face a daunting trip to Soweto’s historic Orlando Amstel Arena to challenge the 2025/26 treble winners in their opening fixture of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season on 1 August.
Milford face an uphill battle layout-wise. They secured their historic top-flight promotion just last month after coming out on top in a grueling playoff series against Magesi FC and Cape Town City.
This tight turnaround severely truncated their pre-season preparation window. By contrast, a star-studded Pirates squad has spent weeks sharpening their systems on an intensive pre-season tour in Spain.
While Pupuma acknowledged that launching a maiden campaign away to the reigning champions is far from ideal, he believes the grand stage serves as the ultimate litmus test for his squad.
Overcoming the Underdog Tag in Soweto
“At some point, we have to play them,” Pupuma said in the team base camp in Polokwane
“It is unfortunate to draw them first, but it is a challenge we are gradually embracing.
“We are playing the absolute champions while being the weakest team in the division. If you look at how we got here, we had to fight through the playoffs. Kruger United won the second-tier league directly, so they naturally rank above us. Every other team was already established in the top flight, which technically makes us the underdogs. To get the champions away on day one—it doesn’t get tougher than that. We will embrace it, knowing it won’t be easy, but my only wish is that we show up and don’t get carried away by the occasion.”
Hidden Targets and Top-Flight Readiness
Despite entering the division with the lowest historical coefficient, the practicing gynaecologist-turned-football manager believes his team has the tactical steel to cause problems for established Premier Soccer League (PSL) mainstays.
Notably, Milford are no strangers to giant-killing acts in Soweto, having famously knocked Kaizer Chiefs out of the Nedbank Cup as a lower-tier side in 2024.
When pressed on what constitutes a successful debut season for the KwaZulu-Natal outfit, Pupuma kept his cards close to his chest.
“I will keep that to myself; we have our own internal targets within the team,” Pupuma concluded.
“We have achievable targets, and then we have the ones we hold onto in our dreams. We always look to fulfill our dreams, and hopefully, that ambition lands us exactly where we need to be.
“All I can say to our supporters is that this team can compete—and will compete—with clubs that have been in the PSL far longer than us.”
