As Chippa United approach their first cup soccer competition this season, head coach Brandon Truter wants them to tune into their winning mentality which he feels has been lacking in the league.

Chippa will play Golden Arrows at the King Zwelithini Stadium in Durban on Saturday afternoon and it will be the first time Truter takes charge of the side in a cup competition.

Given their track record, he has a tough job facing him.

Chippa have not won any cup titles since joining the top flight just more than a decade ago.

The closest they have been was during the 2020/2021 Nedbank Cup, when they lost in the final.

That is also the best Truter has achieved with any side in cup competitions.

Under him, Sekhukhune United were Nedbank runners-up in 2023.

Chippa have struggled in the Carling Cup over the past three seasons, failing to make it past the round of 16.

Truter wants to break that hoodoo.

To achieve that means they will have to be positive mentally, avoid complacency, take their chances and stay focused for the duration of the match.

Those elements are something he believes the team have not yet fully followed.

He used their recent 1-0 league defeat to Kruger United as an example where the team conceded the goal in extra time due to a lack of concentration at the back as they failed to clear their lines.

On Saturday, they cannot allow that to happen.

Arrows have had their own woes, which include not killing off games.

Like Chippa, they have ended up drawing games they could have won.

"Once you are in the cup competition you are in it to win," Truter said.

"It is a matter of four games. Yes, Chippa have not been performing well in recent cup competitions but we want to change that this season.

"We want to go as far as possible. We don't want to just challenge for the league, we want cups as well and to compete on all fronts.

"The winning mentality and intensity comes from cup games as they give you a different vibe.

"We want to instill the culture of going to cup to cup and we want to compete in them."