Giant‑killers Milford target TS Galaxy in Ke Yona Cup semifinal showdown

Motsepe Foundation Championship (MFC) side Milford FC have a taxing two-pronged mission this season; to continue with their amazing run in the MFC and win automatic promotion to the PSL; and to carry on with their giant-killing spree in the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup when they face Betway Premiership club TS Galaxy at the KwaMhlanga Stadium today at 3:00pm.

The Richards Bay side are hoping to achieve the rare accolade of becoming the fifth first division team to reach the final of the Ke Yona Cup after Mpumalanga Black Aces (2008), University of Pretoria (2009), Black Leopards (2011) and Galaxy in 2019.

Milford knocked out Betway Premiership top side Sekhukhune United via penalties in the quarterfinals to reach the last four stages. It was sweet revenge for the KZN club after Sekhukhune had dumped them out of the same competition last season.

Against Galaxy, they will face unfamiliar foes, whom they will be meeting for the first time. The unpredictable Rockets, as Galaxy are dotingly known, are still in pain and licking their wounds after they were spanked 6-0 by the Buccaneers in the league before the Fifa calendar break.

The experienced campaigners will want to exact revenge and get back to winning ways at the expense of Milford. But Milford also knows what it takes to compete in this competition.

A few seasons ago, they claimed the scalp of Amakhosi, knocking them out in the quarterfinals and turning them into a laughingstock. So, they will be looking for a sequel and to show Galaxy that the gulf between the first division and the premier league is not much of a difference.

But Galaxy have a slight advantage over the other clubs who are still in the competition.

They made history in 2019 when they lifted the Ke Yona trophy, while still campaigning in the national first division.

They did not just win the tournament, they surprised all and sundry when they nailed the mighty Kaizer Chiefs 1-0 via a Zakhele Lepasa penalty at a jam-packed Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

But still, it’s going to remain difficult to negotiate the minefield of focusing on winning both the MFC league race and the Nedbank Cup title.

Medical doctor Xanti Pupuma is both owner and coach at Milford, and when asked which one they wanted more between the league and Nedbank Cup, he mentioned promotion as their biggest goal.

“We haven’t won anything. We haven’t gained promotion to the PSL. The aim is always to get to the PSL,” Pupuma was quoted on the SuperSport website.

“The Nedbank Cup is just a bonus. Obviously, it’s good for the players as there’s more exposure with the Nedbank Cup. So, they get to enjoy the attention, but I think everybody knows that the focus is on promotion.

“If we can achieve that; that would be the biggest achievement. Not even winning the Nedbank Cup would be better, although it would be nice from the players’ point of view, but overall, what we want is promotion. We don’t want to win the cup and still be playing in the NFD,” Pupuma added.