The first round of the Nedbank Cup has this Saturday’s Soweto Derby undoubtedly as the pick of the fixtures as the nation is once again divided by the two biggest teams in South Africa – for the fifth time this season.
As much as the fans may be anticipating this mammoth clash, Tinkler feels otherwise and says he would have preferred to meet his opposite number in Steve Komphela at a later stage in the competition.
“You know we’re obviously going into the fifth [Soweto] Derby of the season … truth be told, we would have liked to have met them somewhere in the semi-final,” says the Bucs coach.
“But the harsh reality is that we find each other in the first round of the Nedbank and unfortunately one of the teams has to fall – hopefully that’s not us.”
Nonetheless, Tinkler asserts that preparations for their home fixture at FNB Stadium has been going well, and adds that the confidence in the camp following their recent form could not be any better ahead of the clash against Chiefs.
“I think preparations have been going pretty good, you know, we’ve come off two very good results against Mpumalanga Black Aces and Bloemfontein Celtic,” he adds.
“The mood at training is, like always when it’s Derby time, great and everybody is sticking their hands up for selection – even the injured players [smiles] - so we’re looking forward to the day.”