Orlando Pirates defender Tapelo Xoki is against the ‘minnows’ tag given to Nedbank Cup participants that are playing in the lower divisions.
Xoki, who was representing Pirates in the Nedbank Cup last 16 draw, referenced Kaizer Chiefs shocking loss to Milford as a lesson to those underestimating lesser-known teams.
Pirates were drawn to play Hungry Lions in the next round, with the date, kick-off and venue yet to be concluded.
The Sea Robbers sailed past amateur side Crystal Lake 6-0 in the last 32 clash at Mbombela Stadium over the weekend.
“It has its challenges (playing against lower division teams) but nobody can say we’re lucky, we saw the result (Milford winning against Chiefs), there’s no way anyone can still think that there are minnows in the tournament.
“We know it’s not an easy task playing against lower division sides, they are highly motivated, we don’t know much about them but we take each game as seriously as it deserves and ensure we prepare well. We make sure we do our due diligence to make sure we get the result,” Xoki said.
The defending Nedbank Cup champions faced a stern test against ABC Motsepe League side Dondol Stars last season, eventually winning the game in the penalty shootout.
Fresh from scoring a brace in the thrashing of the ‘minnows’, Xoki believes the huge win will improve their confidence for the upcoming games.
“It feels great, we’ve been working on it, we’ve not done well in converting [chances], in terms of chances created, we’re amongst the best.
“We’re happy that over the weekend, I think we scored three from set-plays which is a positive and we’ll take that into the upcoming games,” Xoki noted.
