Eric Tinkler has seen enough Nedbank Cup chaos to know that reputations
count for nothing when the knockout stages arrive.
Sekhukhune United have navigated their way to the quarterfinals by
dispatching two Motsepe Foundation Championship sides in the earlier rounds,
but their coach insists that third-tier opposition Milford FC could prove
the most dangerous obstacle yet.
The two sides meet at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, and speaking at
a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Tinkler delivered a measured
warning to any who might view his team’s top-flight status as an automatic
ticket to the semifinals.
“There are no guarantees in life,” the former Bafana Bafana midfielder
stated bluntly.
“You can say that we, PSL clubs, are doing quite well in the PSL league
standings, but that doesn’t guarantee you’re going to go through to the next
round.”
Milford arrive in Polokwano sitting proudly at the summit of the Motsepe
Foundation Championship—a detail not lost on the Sekhukhune tactician. Far
from the typical giant-killing hopefuls who stumble into the latter stages,
the third-tier pacesetters represent a formidable challenge for Tinkler’s
charges.
“As I said, you’ve got to go out there, you’ve got to be brave enough to
play at a high level, don’t become complacent,” he continued.
“Don’t drop your level, and if you do all of those things, then you should
come through the tie and move on. But if you don’t do those things, if
mentally you’re not ready for that challenge, then it’s going to be
difficult.”
The warning carries the weight of experience. Tinkler has witnessed
firsthand how the Nedbank Cup rewards the brave and punishes the
presumptuous, with higher-ranked clubs frequently finding themselves on the
wrong end of unforgettable upsets.
“You could find yourself being knocked out of the competition, and we’ve
seen that happen before,” he observed.
For Sekhukhune, the competition holds particular significance. Babina Noko
have tasted Nedbank Cup final football before—a 2-1 defeat to Orlando
Pirates that left lingering unfinished business. Tinkler and his squad
harbour genuine ambitions of going one better this time around and lifting
the trophy.
But first, they must navigate past a Milford side chasing promotion and
dreaming of Cup glory. In a competition defined by its capacity for
surprise, the message from the Sekhukhune camp is unmistakable: respect the
opponent, or risk joining the long list of giants slain.
