BEYOND Casric Stars reaching the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup – which puts them in a position to win the title, coach Joseph “Bucs” Mthombeni, emphasizes the importance of achieving the goal of fighting to win the Motsepe Foundation Championship league.
Casric, playing in the Motsepe Championship, defeated AmaZulu 2-1 in the Nedbank quarterfinals on Saturday, at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban.
AmaZulu became the second Betway Premiership team to have their jersey burnt by Casric from KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga. It defeated Orlando Pirates 5-4 on penalties in the Round of 16.
Casric and Milford FC, who beat Sekhukhune United 3-2 on penalties on Saturday, are the two teams playing in the Motsepe Championship who booked their place in the semi-finals at Nedbank.
“The Zulus were the better team in the first half but we came up with a strategy to make sure we finish the game so I commend the boys for their dedication and our fans for their support. But to celebrate reaching the semi-finals we have put it aside, we are looking forward to our next league game against Tuks on Wednesday, we have changed players and played some and rested others because three of them have been caught with cramps in this game.
“We will have to continue to fight until the end and see if we succeed in winning the league and go up to the Premiership to play with the top division teams, which is our main goal,” said Mthombeni.
This coach believes that going far in this competition will give his players a chance to stand out and be known.
“We play to raise the name of the team. Playing with big teams gives us the opportunity to attract sponsors because we are a team that relies on the support of the PSL.
“I think that the good performance of the team in the Nedbank Cup will put it in a better place and people will start to pay attention to it, it will be known. Our players will also stand out and be known, and they will get better opportunities.”
Casric, who is competing for the Motsepe Championship league title, will play against the University of Pretoria on Wednesday at 3.30 pm at Solomon Mahlangu Stadium, KwaMhlanga.