Milford FC chairman and coach Dr. Xanti Pupuma says his love for Kaizer Chiefs changed when he and his family founded their current club.
In the build-up to the game, assistant coach Nkululeko Buthelezi revealed the family behind the ownership of the club are Amakhosi fans but the squad are determined to beat them to advance to the Last-16 of the Nedbank Cup.
“The entire family of Milford supports Chiefs, but the players are going to compete. Everyone knows playing against Chiefs is a motivation on its own,” he said, which is what transpired after the 0-0 draw led to a 5-4 penalty shoot-out triumph.
After the historic win for the club, who are in their first season in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), having bought the status of Uthongathi, Pupuma denied having mixed emotions at FNB Stadium on Sunday evening.
“What are you talking about, this is my team,” he said with a smile on his face.
“Look I am a football fan more than a Chiefs fan, yes I grew up following Kaizer Chiefs just like growing up where certain parties were the majority parties from a political point of view.
“Later on in life, things change. You grow a little bit older and new developments [happen] around you, so it would be impossible to [own] a team and then be a fan of another team, even worse so when we bought the professional status.
“So, really I had to be aligned and make sure I put all my energy towards Milford Football Club, which we are doing as a family. Make no mistake about it, nobody is hurt at home right now.”
Milford will learn their fate with the rest of the 16 teams tonight when the draw takes place at the SuperSport Studios in Ranburg at 18h00.
