Tapuwa Kapini targets Telkom Knockout success with Highlands Park

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – OCTOBER 18: Tapuwa Kapini during the Highlands Park FC press conference at PSL Offices on October 18, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

HIGHLANDS Park captain Tapuwa Kapini has made the team’s intentions known ahead of their first cup game in the Premier Soccer League.

The Lions of the North, who have earlier this week appointed Gordon Igesund as their new head coach, will face a stern test at home to Chippa United in the Telkom Knockout Last 16 tonight.

Though they have won just one game in the Absa Premiership since gaining promotion from the First Division last season, Kapini says their ambition is to go all the way and lift the league cup.

“Cup competitions are there to win,” said the shot-stopper. “We can’t just say we just need to compete. We want to win the cup as well.

“There are 16 teams, and every team wants to win it. Here at Highlands Park we want to win it as well.”

Coming up against a revolutionised Chilli Boys outfit under Dan ‘Dance’ Malesela, who lead the team to their first ever MTN8 semi-final, is certainly not something the 32-year-old former AmaZulu ‘keeper is taking lightly.

“It’s not going to be easy. Chippa have been doing well; they have been playing good football but we have been watching them as players, so we are going to come up with a plan,” he added.

“As we have a coach [Gordon Igesund] and the players, we just need to start to work together and gel, and I think we will achieve the result that we want against Chippa United at the end of the day.”

Kick-off at the Makhulong Stadium in Tembisa is scheduled for 20h00.