Milford’s Xanti Pupuma calls for confidence after strong Premiership start

Milford coach Xanti Pupuma believes his young squad will grow in confidence and become more assured as they adapt to life in the Premiership.

The Stallions have made an impressive start to their first season in South Africa’s top flight, collecting 18 points from 10 matches and sitting fourth in the log table.

They strengthened their position at the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, extending a run that has exceeded expectations for a newly promoted side.

Milford’s initial objective was simply to remain in the Premiership, but their performances so far have raised expectations. Pupuma says the team are now focused on securing as many points as possible before the quality and sharpness of the league’s other sides reach their full level.

“We are a team that just came up. The focus is on staying in the Premiership, being competitive, but based on how we have started and the kind of games that we’ve played we are on the right track,” Pupuma said.

“Look, everybody has accumulated games, so the quality is going to show along the way, which is why we are trying by all means to accumulate as many points as possible early so that when everyone is up to speed, we are not desperate.”

Pupuma says the main area requiring attention is the intensity of Milford’s play, although he has been pleased with their progress during the campaign.

“The only thing that we are trying to work on is to improve the intensity so that we are at the level of the teams in the league, and that is going to take time but, so far, I have been happy,” he said.

Milford looking forward to return fixtures

Milford’s three defeats have come away from home: against Orlando Pirates in the opening league match, in the Carling Knockout and against Mamelodi Sundowns.

That record has left Pupuma keen to see how those opponents perform when they travel to Richards Bay for the reverse league fixtures. He believes playing at home could give his side another opportunity to compete with the division’s established teams.

“We are a team that always backs ourselves, and we are very disappointed with the three losses we’ve accumulated. I think the only positive side for us is that all three are away games,” he said.

“So it’s going to be very interesting to see how they are when they come to our venue, what kind of a game do we give them.”

Pupuma hopes the experience gained from Milford’s first matches in the division will help his players approach those contests with greater belief.

“Obviously I’m hoping my boys will have a little bit more confidence and experience in the division. But any loss is a disappointment. Unfortunately for us, we always think whoever we are playing, we will win the game.”