Chippa United coach Clinton Larsen will not be making any changes to his squad when they play Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs in their Nedbank Cup semifinal at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday (8.15pm).
The coach is also telling his squad to approach the match as seriously as they would any other fixture.
However, he also knows how important winning will be as it would see Chippa make history by being part of a cup final for the first time in their top-flight history.
“It’s the club’s 10th anniversary this year and this is an opportunity for us to try and get to a major final for the first time,” Larsen said.
“So we are going to do everything in our power to try and win this one.
“It is going to be huge for the city if we get to the finals.
“We are not going to do anything different.
“We want to keep the players focused and grounded and make sure that we treat this game like we have done any other games.”
Larsen also strongly believes that his troops are ready for the task ahead.
“I believe if we keep doing what we are doing in the way we are preparing the team we will be ready for Kaizer Chiefs.
“I think they are also under a lot of pressure.
“This is the only trophy they have left to play for, so they are going to play with a lot of desperation.
“The longer the game goes and they don’t score, the pressure builds and that is [when] we have to make sure we do.
“We’re playing against a quality Chiefs team but I must honestly say I don’t think they are at their best.
“They have admitted it themselves, so if they were ever there for the taking I think this is the opportune time for us.
“So we really have to put them to the sword at the weekend.” The Chilli Boys made their way to the semifinals of the competition after beating Bidvest Wits 5-3 on penalties. The match had ended in a thrilling 4-4 draw. Chippa have reached two cup semifinals before, but failed to progress to the finals.