Durban City brace for dangerous Casric test

The Citizens are set to welcome Motsepe Foundation Championship side Casric Stars to Chatsworth Stadium in Durban on Saturday, 4 April.

Casric have emerged as one of the competition’s surprise packages, having eliminated top-flight sides Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu on their run to the semi-finals.

Dladla says his side is fully aware of the threat posed by the lower-division outfit and will approach the clash with the necessary respect and preparation.

"We've got to respect a fixture and also understand that this is not an easy fixture. This cup is a cup of surprises, we don't want to be one of those teams that's gonna be surprised by Casric. I think it's all about respecting them in terms of doing proper preparations and dealing with the game when it comes," Dladla said.

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Durban City may hold a slight edge in familiarity, having previously faced the KwaMhlanga-based side during their time in the Motsepe Foundation Championship before securing promotion to the Betway Premiership this season.

However, Dladla insists that past meetings count for little at this stage of the competition and has warned against underestimating their opponents simply because of their league status.

"We are very focused ahead of this game, we will not undermine them because they play in a league that's lower than ours. They have a very experienced squad that have played in higher leagues which is why we are under pressure and we must make sure that we win this game as a thank you gift to our supporters," he added.