Jonhson: We have to be on our toes

Cape Town - Platinum Stars coach Cavin Johnson says his team cannot take AmaZulu lightly ahead of their last-32 Nedbank Cup clash.

Johnson believes the National First Division outfit can be a real threat as they possess a number of experienced top-quality players.

"We have to be on our toes. We have to be as best prepared as we can. We go to the game treating it as a PSL game," Johnson told the club's official website.

"We are not looking as AmaZulu as a National First Division team. We look at them as our counterparts.

"They have Siyabonga Nomvethe, who doesn’t seem to age. They have Mabhuti Khenyeza.

"These are two players with experience. They have also signed Ovidy Karuru. They are a good team. They have experienced players in the team who can take them to another level. We have to be at our best."

Dinaledi go into the contest after having lost to Uganda's Vipers in a CAF Confederations Cup clash. However, Stars have picked up three consecutive wins in the Premiership.

Usuthu are also in good form having lost just twice in their last 10 games in all competitions. The Joey Antipas-coached outfit are in sixth place in the NFD with a seemingly outside chance of gaining promotion. And Antipas is looking forward to his first appearance in a major South African cup competition.

"The match does come in the midst of our league push, but we just have to take it in our stride," he said.

"I think the game might be a blessing in disguise for us and I'm looking forward to it.

"Hopefully they will rest some of their players and that will give us an opening."

Veteran strikers Mabhuti Khenyeza and Siyabonga Nomvethe, who has 13 goals in 19 matches in 2016/17, are expected to be rested, while Stars have not reported any fresh injury concerns for the game.

Wednesday's action gets underway from 19:30 at the Moruleng Stadium in the North West Province.