Kaizer Chiefs gear up for a stern test when they host Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars in the Nedbank Cup round of 16 at FNB Stadium this evening.
Casric will be looking to emulate ABC Mostepe League outfit Dondol Stars, who stunned SuperSport United and AmaZulu to continue their fairytale journey and booked themselves a spot in the quarterfinals.
Amakhosi have a history of falling short to lower division teams in the giant-slaying cup competition, having previously lost to Baroka FC, TS Galaxy in the 2019 final and recently Richards Bay, who were still competing in the first division in 2021.
Despite the daunting record, assistant coach Dillon Sheppard believes the Glamour Boys will not dwell on the past. “You don’t want to look at the past, we are going forward,” said Sheppard during the Nedbank Cup round of 16 media conference at the PSL headquarters in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
“If you look at the Richards Bay game and how the [Kaizer Chiefs] squad has changed, it’s almost a totally different squad. We have players that were part of that squad, so they can share their experiences.
“We must look at the opposition and what is coming ahead of us. The guys are focused and the energy this week has been good. We need to focus game by game, keep moving forward and not look at what happened in the past. We know what lies ahead of us.”
However, staunch Chiefs supporter and Casric Stars head coach Baks Mthombeni said he was confident his side had what it takes to go toe-to-toe with the most successful club in the history of the competition.
“We prepared like we prepare for any game,” said Mthombeni.
“We don’t see the difference [between them and Chiefs] because in the field of play we play 11 against 11.
“I know Chiefs have a history far better than us, but it’s a test, and the first test for us [in the competition is] to play against a big club, which will also give our players the exposure to showcase their talent.”
Kick-off time is at 6pm
