Silverware and top three: Eric Tinkler refuses to choose between Nedbank Cup and league

Another lower-division side for Sekhukhune United in the Nedbank Cup, another ‘free passage’ into the next stage for Ba Bina Noko. Or so a partisan fan will think.

The reality, however, is anything but, and as he anticipated Sunday’s Round of 16 tie against the Motsepe Foundation Championship side AmaTuks, Sekhukhune coach Eric Tinkler was at pains to make it clear that nothing could be taken for granted.

This, after all, is a man who was made to sweat for a good 80 minutes of the previous round’s clash against another first-division outfit in Highbury, whom they overcame largely thanks to the fantastic work done by goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner.

“We obviously played an NFD team before this game,” Tinkler reminded those with short memories. “The biggest fear that you have when you're a PSL team and you play a lower-division team is complacency. And as much as I reiterated during the week that we cannot have complacency, the complacency was there and it was clear to see [against Highbury].

"And to a degree, we were quite fortunate, in my view. Yes, our goalkeeper didn't really have to make many saves. But I thought for the majority of the game, they were better than us. And a lot of that is down to that complacency.”

There can be no such attitude tomorrow when they visit a University of Pretoria side that has a history of having killed some giants in this competition years before, with their current coach Kwanele Kopo hoping for a repeat of the heroics of 2009 when AmaTuks reached the final.

“So what you hope for is that the players have learnt from that lesson. We've played Tuks before, so it's not a case of it's the first time that we're going to play them. We know what they're about and what they're capable of. So I don't think we'll have the same type of complacency from the players going into this match.”

Tinkler believes his players are professional enough to know not to underestimate their opponents.

“So I don't think I would have to raise that problem to the players. I think they know how important it is for them to apply themselves in the correct manner," he said.

"And I don't think there can be any lack of confidence because we won the last three [matches]. Were they tough? Yes. Did we fight to get those results? Yes. So now it's about the performances getting better. And as I said, you can feel the atmosphere. Training is a lot better.”

Tinkler is keen to get Sekhukhune back into continental football but is also eager to help the club win their maiden silverware, and the Nedbank Cup provides that opportunity. He is, however, also intent on leading Sekhukhune to a top-three finish in the Betway Premiership and says they will not be prioritising one competition over the other.

“Obviously our purpose and our objective is to make sure we get ourselves into the next round. We set ourselves the target of trying to reach the Nedbank final and possibly win it. So for us, it's vitally important how we apply ourselves against them on Sunday. For us, the target is third in the league. So the focus has to be on both. We're not going to separate the two.”

First up, though, they have to overcome the tough hurdle that will be AmaTuks on Sunday, 22 February, and they will do well not to be as complacent as they were in the previous round against the other lower-division side, Highbury.