Eric Tinkler braced for tough Stellenbosch test in MTN8 semis | OneFootball

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Tinkler anticipates tough Stellenbosch clash

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Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler is anticipating a tough encounter against Stellenbosch FC in the first leg of the MTN8 semi-final, scheduled to take place at the Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday evening (18h00).

Babina Noko reached this stage of the competition courtesy of a 3-2 victory over TS Galaxy in the opening round. Meanwhile, Stellies pipped AmaZulu to a last four spot with a similar scoreline in the quarterfinals.

Now, the two teams are set to battle it out for a meeting against the winner between defending champions Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in the other semi-final clash, which will be an early kickoff on the same day.

With the match looming, the former Cape Town City mentor made an honest admission that he expects the Cape Winelands outfit to give his side a run for their money, as the Limpopo club eyes a first-ever top-flight trophy.

“Obviously this semi-final against Stellenbosch is a massive game, they have been very good over the past two seasons. They have surprised many with the performances they have put on and where they finished in the league,” said Tinkler.

“My personal record as a coach against them is not brilliant and hopefully we can go there and not only change my fortune but obviously also Sekhukhune’s fortunes in terms of trying to reach the MTN8 final.

Tinkler went on to pinpoint that Stellenbosch will have the upper hand in the first meeting due to the massive backing from their supporters in the mother city, where they have proved to be a difficult team to overcome in recent seasons.

“It’s not going to be easy, very difficult team to play, especially at Danie Craven, they get a very good support base when they play at Danie Craven versus when they play at Athlone or at the DHL Stadium. So, we know it’s not going to be very easy,” he added.

“It’s a team that is really built from the counter attack, they are a team looks to play you off your mistakes. So, we are really going to have to be at our best come Saturday.