Milford believe they can shock Orlando Pirates in Carling Knockout

Milford owner-coach Xhanti Pupuma believes his side are better prepared to cause an upset when they face Orlando Pirates in the first round of the Carling Knockout at Orlando Amstel Arena on tomorrow night at 7pm.

The Stallions were beaten 2-0 by Pirates in the league opener in August, which was Milford’s first match as a top-flight club. Despite the defeat, the newcomers competed strongly and earned praise from football supporters across the country.

Pupuma hopes that experience will help Milford address the errors they made in that meeting.

“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,” he said.

Milford go into the cup tie in encouraging league form. They are fourth in the table after collecting 15 points from nine matches, and Pupuma says the team now has greater confidence and a better understanding of the demands of top-flight football.

“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.

The club’s recent cup record has also given them belief. Milford reached the Nedbank Cup semi-finals last season while still competing in the second tier, and Pupuma hopes that run, along with their performances in previous seasons, will prove valuable in the Carling Knockout.

“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.

Milford’s Nedbank Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals when TS Galaxy won 4-3 on penalties. The match had finished 1-1 after extra time.

The Stallions were also knocked out in the round of 16 of the 2024/25 Ke Yona Cup. They lost 2-1 to Sekhukhune United in Durban.