Highlands Park head coach Alan Freese says it’s an honour to reach the last 32 of the Nedbank Cup and they still harbour ambitions of a top-flight return.
The Lions of the North are currently in the ABC Motsepe League, where they would have played four games to reach this stage of the competition.
And they are up against last season’s runners-up Sekhukhune United, who will be the overwhelming favourites for the clash at Dobsonville Stadium on Wednesday evening.
“It’s an honour to be here, we’re happy to be here, I think of the 32 teams in the cup we’ve played the most games to get here,” Freese said ahead of the Sekhukhune game.
“We hope that it’s an opportunity for the young boys to get a chance to test themselves at this level.”
“It’s quite an experience for the kids, we’re playing in the league and then all of a sudden we’re playing Sekhukhune [who were finalists].”
Freese’s side is in sixth place in the Gauteng Stream of the third-tier South African football.
“Yes, the ambition is to get back into the PSL, but we all know how difficult the league is we’re in, we know what happens down there,” he stated boldly.
“Ye, their ambition is there, we’ll do our best to try and get back, but it’s a difficult road to get into the NFD first and then the top flight.”
The two sides will kick off for a place in the last-16 of the domestic cup competition at 19h30.
