Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The head coach of the King Kauluma Palace Football Club, Anderson Phiri says his team is eager to take advantage of playing at home in front of their supporters as they aim to advance to the quarter-finals of the MTC Maris Cup.
KK Palace will face Windhoek-based Bucks Buccaneers on Sunday in the Oshakati Independence Stadium at 16h00.
The Oluno-based team secured their place in the last eight after an impressive 3-0 victory over Debmarine Premier League log leaders Khomas Nampol in Windhoek last weekend.
Speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Wednesday, Phiri expressed confidence in his squad and highlighted the importance of the upcoming home fixture.
“When you are playing in front of your crowd, it is obviously a big morale booster when they are cheering for you. We played most of our games away from home in front of a few supporters, but this one is going to be different because we expect a large number of people to come out, and that is a plus for us. But we are very much ready for our opponents and confident of reaching the quarter-finals,” he said.
According to Phiri, the cup matches require a different mindset compared to league games, as there is no second chance.
“Every match has got its game plan; before the game against Khomas Nampol, I told the players that they could be on top of the log standing, but this is a cup game, and we have to play it to our strength, and that is what we did, and we won the game,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the head coach of Bucks Buccaneers, Woody Jacobs acknowledged the challenge of playing against a team that is in excellent form on their home turf but assured that his squad is ready for the battle.
“We are preparing the team in such a way that we are going to win. We are not going to sit back and wait for the opponent to come to us just because they are playing at home. We will take the game to them. But we know we are playing against a very good team, and we respect them so much; I had the opportunity to play against them when I was with Tigers, and I must say they are a good team,” said Jacobs.
All MTC Maris Cup matches this weekend will take place at the Independence Stadium in Oshakati.
The first fixture will see FC Ongos take on Young African at 14h00 on Saturday, followed by Unam FC against Blue Waters at 17h00.
On Sunday, the Mighty Gunners will face African Stars at 13h00, before KK Palace and Bucks Buccaneers conclude the round of 16 with their clash at 16h00.
