This weekend will see at least one Namibia Premier League (NPL) team exit from the country’s biggest cup competition, with Civics and Tigers set to face each other on Saturday. With the only other all-NPL clash –between Eleven Arrows and African Stars - only set for February 22, the Civics versus Tigers match is the biggest draw of this weekend’s games. Set for the Sam Nujoma Stadium on Saturday evening, the match is set to be titanic in nature with both coaches promising to bring their A-game. “There is no second chance in the cup tournament, so we’ll be treating this match like a cup final,” Tigers coach Bobby Samaria said. Civics mentor Christy Guruseb said he is really relishing the tie. “Since this is a knockout competition, whether you play Tigers now or later doesn’t matter because in order to win the event, you need to beat the best. So I’m happy with the draw,” he said. Tigers beat Civics 1-0 in the league this season but both coaches insist that Saturday’s match will be a whole lot different. “You cannot read much into that result because nobody wants to be knocked out in the first round,” Samaria said. “It will be a different ball game,” Guruseb agreed. But with an NPL rival, and thus a stronger opponent, set to be eliminated from the competition, surely the coaches will fancy their chances going forward? Easier path Not so for either of the coaches, as Samaria explained that often “when you face teams from the lower divisions, they are highly motivated and since you don’t know anything about them, it becomes difficult to play them”. Guruseb, for his part, believes only the luck of the draw will decide if the path will become easier. “After this round, another draw will take place and you might end up facing Black Africa or Orlando Pirates,” he said. What is clear, though, is that both men are eyeing a good run in the competition, albeit for different reasons. Guruseb explained that since Civics is currently far from the NPL title chasers, the cup competition gives his side the perfect chance to go for silverware. “I don’t think with the depth of my squad that we could be league title contenders but with the cup it is only five games to reach the final. So it is a much easier task,” he said before adding that his team’s focus is only on the opponents in front of them. Samaria, on the other hand, feels that it is the right time for Tigers to show the fruits of the work they have put in thus far. “When I started, my aim was to make Tigers a competitive unit and while we are still a work in progress, adding silverware could round off the progress made nicely,” he said. The Bidvest Namibia Cup last 32, often called the competition proper, will take place this weekend with matches being staged in Windhoek, Rundu and Walvis Bay.
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