Chiefs pin all silverware hopes on Nedbank Cup

KAIZER Chiefs have pinned all their hopes of salvaging the 2023/24 season on winning the Nedbank Cup when domestic action resumes next month.

The draw for the Keyona competition took place on Thursday night, as the 32 teams were pitted against each other, with Amakhosi set to face Motsepe Foundation Championship side Milford FC.

The Naturena-based club are approaching nine years without any silverware, the last being the league and MTN8 cup double from the 2014/15 season.

Having already failed to lift both the MTN8 and Carling Knockout this season, and with the league title, not a realistic possibility, the Nedbank Cup becomes their last chance to save yet another disappointing season.

Amakhosi defender Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, who is still in search of his first taste of silverware since arriving in South Africa, says he and his teammates have targeted the competition.

“I think the main aim before we saw the draw, was to channel everything that we have towards this cup.

“The other cups are out of our reach now, but we have something on the table with the Nedbank Cup,” he told the media.

The 25-year-old Botswana international revealed that Chiefs have been preparing directly for the competition.

“You don’t just win by saying you’re gonna win; we have to prepare, fight, we need to play and win.

“The tactic is fairly simple, we have been looking forward to this cup, but now the time has come for us to execute the coach’s plans,” he said.

Over the years, Amakhosi have been on the wrong end of many Nedbank Cup upsets, having been eliminated by the likes of Baroka, FC Cape Town and, most memorably, by TS Galaxy in the 2019 Final.

Chiefs will hope to avoid a similar fate this time around as they face Richard’s Bay-based Milford, who ply their trade in the second tier of South African football.

The former SuperSport United man admitted his side knew very little about their opposition, but felt a united effort from Chiefs would do the job for their side.

Ditlhokwe also refused to admit the club’s history with opposition from the lower divisions has been a curse for the club.

“It is not a curse (for us ), it’s just the reality, everyone wants to beat Chiefs.

“It is all about us tuning our minds the right way because everyone that sees us wants to fight, so we also need to be up for the occasion,” he said.

“They’re a closed book and we don’t know much about them, but when we do play we just need to apply ourselves, and if we do everything according to plan, we almost guarantee ourselves a win.”