Lamontville Golden Arrows are ready to up their game in cup competitions after they reached two semi-finals without any success last season.
Abafana Bes’thende were bundled out at the penultimate stage of both the Nedbank Cup and Telkom Knockout in the previous campaign but they have now set their sights on becoming champions.
Arrows play Vaal University of Technology in the Nedbank Cup last 32 round at Dobsonville Stadium on Saturday (3pm).
And coach Steve Komphela has challenged his troops to go all the way this time around.
“They must go and win it. What you need in cup competitions is the form of three to five games. Once you are in the semi-finals, it is anybody’s game,” Komphela explained.
Success will be Arrows’ second in the elite league, Abafana Bes’thende having won their only trophy in top flight back in 2009 when they lifted the MTN8 with Manqoba Mngqithi as head coach.
“Most of these teams that beat us in the semi-finals go on to win the cup.
“We played a hell of a game against Sundowns (in the Telkom Knockout semi-final) but lost. We let them off the hook and they were in the final and they won it.
“Maybe it wasn’t meant (to be) for us at that time.
“We look forward to these matches and we just have to do our job, “ he added.
Arrows are oozing confidence heading into the clash after they beat SuperSport United 1-0 in the league last weekend. But they won’t underestimate the university side from the fourth tier.
“We fight at Arrows. We don’t play. We are always up for a fight. The game against SuperSport is gone. Yesterday won’t be for tomorrow. The game against SuperSport took us to 27 points and we are done with that.
“There’s no room for complacency at Arrows. We don’t work in that manner and the players understand that, “ Komphela stated.
Arrows will be gunning for history as no team from KwaZulu-Natal has ever won the Nedbank Cup.
“Once you become familiar, you become complacent.
“When you start to be complacent, you become mediocre. Complacency brings mediocrity. Once you become comfortable, you lose it and become reckless.
“We are not going to be comfortable,” Komphela articulated.