Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler speaking during the Nedbank cup media briefing at the Nedbank office in Sandton.
Image: Itumeleng English/ Independent Newspapers
Sekhukhune United and TS Galaxy are eyeing Nedbank Cup glory this season for different reasons, but they know that they have to be at their best against the “so called minions” in the quarter-final, and avoid a potential banana skin.
Sekhukhune will host NFD side Milford in their Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash at New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday (6pm). This is a match that Babina Noko are expected to win at all costs, given their Premiership status and ambitions.
Babina Noko, coached by Eric Tinkler,, are third in the Betway Premiership with 33 points – a spot which automatically qualifies them for the CAF Confederation Cup next season.
But with the league still approaching its last quarter of the season, Babina Noko’s top three ambitions are out of their hands, unlike in the Nedbank Cup where wins in the last three stages of the competition guarantee them Confederation Cup football next season.
While it might be easy for Tinkler’s men to primarily focus on the Ke Yona Cup in their bid for continental football, their ambitions for growth do not allow them.
“Both are important,” said Tinkler, who was speaking at the pre-match press conference at Nedbank Headquarters in Sandton on Thursday. “We want to finish third in the league, for more than the fact that we want to get into CAF. It’s about us improving as the club on a yearly basis.”
Tinkler is not taking anything for granted – the fact that they, alongside AmaZulu, TS Galaxy, Durban City and Golden Arrows, are among the remaining top-flight clubs in the competition is neither here nor there.
“I don’t think there are guarantees in life. You could argue that we are a top-flight team, and doing well in the league, but that doesn’t guarantee that you’ll reach the second round – you’ve got to go out there, and be brave to play at a high level. Don’t be complacent or drop the bar,” Tinkler said.
Meanwhile, Galaxy are eager for a change of fortunes in the Nedbank Cup, which could aid their chances of getting back to winning ways after losing their last games in the league.
Assistant coach Bernard Parker, who was speaking on behalf of head coach Adnan Beganovic, who’s suspended for their Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash againstJacksa Spears at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium on Saturday (3pm) after accumulating four yellow cards, revealed how they plan to find balance between the two competitions.
“We are well aware of our current form in the PSL domestic league, and the Nedbank Cup,” Parker conceded. “Personally, as a player who’s played in the Nedbank Cup, won and lost it, I am bringing that experience to the players of what this competition does.
“Our preparations at the moment are all ensuring that we get back to basics, and have the right mental levels to compete across board. We want to consolidate what we’ve built so far – both in the league and the Nedbank Cup.”
With the big three – last season’s champions Kaizer Chiefs, last season’s finalists Orlando Pirates and 2023/24 season finalists Mamelodi Sundowns – eliminated, the Rockets fancy their chances of going all the way. But they know Spears, campaigning in the amateur ranks, will be tough visitors in KwaMhlanga.
“It will be a very tricky fixture against Jacksa Spears, but we’ve done our homework as much as they did. We know what can happen, and what has happened in the past in this competition,” Parker said.
“We are also well aware that we have a strong possibility of going all the way to the final. The big teams – particularly the big three – have been surprised.”
*Mihlali Baleka is Independent Media's senior football reporter and a panelist on the group's soccer podcast, The D-Line, which is exclusive on our YouTube channel The Clutch