Pupuma confident of upsetting Bucs in Soweto

Milford owner-coach Xhanti Pupuma is convinced that they’re in a better position to upset Orlando Pirates when the two sides meet in the first round of the Carling Knockout at Orlando Amstel Arena tomorrow night (7pm).

Rookies Milford lost 2-0 Pirates in what was their first ever game as a topflight side in the league opener in August. In that game, the Stallions really held their own, earning rave reviews from many football lovers in the country.

“We kinda getting used to it [playing Pirates]. Hopefully, we get to fix the mistakes we made against them when we played our first game,” Pupuma said.

Milford head into this fixture enjoying a great run in the league, occupying the fourth spot with 15 points from nine games.

“One thing for sure, they find us in a different space...we are a little bit more confident and we are now used to the system, we are also used to the league and its pace. Hopefully, we really go there and give them a game,” Pupuma said.

Last season Milford reached the Nedbank Cup semifinals when they were still campaigning in the second-tier. Pupuma hopes the experience they gained from their brilliant run in the Nedbank Cup in the past few seasons will help them go further in the Carling.

“I am hoping that the experience that we gained from the Nedbank Cup in the previous seasons will help us as we try to progress in this cup. Cup games are different from league games, you only have one chance,” Pupuma stated.

It was TS Galaxy who beat Milford 4-3 on penalties in the Nedbank Cup semifinals last season, where the game had finished 1-all after extra-time. In 2024/25 the Stallions were eliminated in the round of 16 in the Ke Yona Cup, going 2-1 down to Sekhukhune United in Durban.