Troughton dismissed a cautious approach for his National
First Division side‚ saying to sit back and invite pressure from the AmaKhosi
would be “suicidal”.
Instead they will look to take the game to the Soweto giants
and try to pressurise the 13-time Nedbank Cup winners into errors.
“We go in with belief‚” Troughton says.
“I am going to have a go at Chiefs.
"They are on a good run and it is going to be very
tough‚ but I think we can ask some questions of them.
“I’m confident we can give them a competitive game‚ though
if we get hammered by four or five [goals]‚ then you think about that
afterwards.
"I have a feeling they are going to come with a strong
team‚ they also need to do well in the cup.
“I don’t think the right way to go is to sit back and defend
and try and hold out.
"We have to try and take the game against them.
"If we encourage Chiefs to build up and have possession‚
that could be suicidal.”
Troughton says the mismatch in the stature of the clubs is
obvious‚ but that it gives his side the opportunity to write their names into
folklore.
“It really is a David vs Goliath clash when you take into
account the rich history of Kaizer Chiefs and the fact that Stellenbosch FC is
only seven months old.
“We might have come out of the old Vasco da Gama‚ but we
have relocated the club‚ changed the name and changed the set-up.
"We have a lot of young players and for them this will
be a fantastic experience.
“Most will have never experienced an atmosphere like we
expect to see at Athlone on Saturday.
“I am still going to select my Under-23 players.
"I wouldn’t want to miss this opportunity to play the
19- and 20-year-olds and give them this experience.
"Our last game [2-1 home win over Black Leopards] was a
good performance and the majority of that starting XI will play.”
There are a number of other opportunities for giant-killing
acts this weekend‚ not least when Ajax Cape Town travel to the Sugar Ray Xulu
Stadium in Durban to take on third-tier Kwadukuza United.
Ajax are sweating on defender Mosa Lebusa and Rivaldo
Coetzee‚ who has an ankle knock‚ and coach Stanley Menzo admits he knows next to
nothing about his opponents.
“It’s good to play Nedbank Cup games against teams you don’t
know‚ it’s a good challenge.
'We have been following players all over the world,' says
Bafana interim coach Da Gama
"For the opponents it is nice to play against a PSL
team‚” Menzo said.
“We don’t know a lot about them and as a PSL team playing a
lower league side‚ you have a lot to lose and nothing to win.
“I tried to find some information‚ I know the coach [Thami
Ngubane]‚ he is an experienced coach and the team did well in 2015 [as Natal
United] when they beat Chippa United and lost to Golden Arrows.
“We will respect them and not take it easy. I hate losing.”
ABC Motsepe League side Buya Msuthu host Bloemfontein Celtic
on Saturday afternoon‚ while fourth-tier United Rovers FC are away at Jomo
Cosmos.
FC Cape Town host top-flight strugglers Baroka FC and coach
Johnny Ferreira says he is reading little into the coaching shenanigans at the
Limpopo club that has this week seen Milton Dlamini join as co-coach alongside
the reinstated Kgoloko Thobejane.
“I don’t look at all of that stuff and what is being said‚”
Ferreira says.
“I just look at how we can beat them and although they are a
very good side‚ I have a lot of admiration for how they play‚ I believe we can
win.
“I think we were the only team that went there and won in
the NFD last season when they were promoted and this time we are at home.”
Sunday sees more clashes between minnow sides and top-flight
teams‚ not least the visit of struggling Orlando Pirates to the Sisa Dukashe
Stadium to face EC Bees.
It is a huge chance for Pirates to snap their 12-game
unbeaten run‚ but coach Kjell Jonevret warns they are going into the game
almost blind.
“For me the cups have always been the important thing – I
think I’ve won seven or eight as player and coach‚” Jonevret said.
“But at the same time I know how it is with these games that
everybody expects you to win.
“I hate them because it’s always about them fighting like
never before.
"You don’t really know how the stadium is.
“So it will be tough.
"And we’re going to go there with what we think is the
best for the day.”
In other games on Sunday‚ Lamontville Golden Arrows host
Maritzburg United‚ Cape Town City travel to third-tier Acornbush United from
Mpumalanga and fourth-tier Days FC host Mbombela United in Welkom.

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