Highlands Park warns Downs to ‘beware the Ides of March’

Buoyed by the recent scalping of Kaizer Chiefs in the Nedbank Cup round of 16, Highlands Park believes Mamelodi Sundowns is next to being put to the sword.

The Lions of the North, as Highlands Park is fondly known, was drawn against the Brazilians in the quarterfinals of the ‘David versus Goliath’ Cup. The pride of the north seems to have developed a penchant for the scalp of the so-called big teams of the Absa Premiership.

The pride was lucky to have drawn a home fixture against Masandawana as they have turned Tembisa’s Makhulong Stadium into a fortress. “We have fortified Makhulong Stadium to ensure that whoever comes to play they must know that they will not have it easy,” said defensive midfielder Ryan Rae.

Interviewed by the North Eastern Tribune soon after the draw, Rae said they were excited to have drawn Sundowns and ‘I can warn them upfront now to beware the Ides of March’.

He was using the Roman adage in reference to the fact the quarterfinals will be played on the weekend of the 14 and 15 March. Asked whether they were not frightened that they had pulled out another big team from the hat, Rae said they were in the cup to compete.

“If Sundowns think it’s going to be a walk in the park, then they had better think again. We will give the tie our utmost best. Having scalped Chiefs, who knows, maybe Sundowns will be next on the lions’ menu. We’re a pride that has developed a taste for the so-called big teams.”

His sentiments and assertions were echoed by club’s media liaison officer Sibonelo Ngidi who said, “If you want to be regarded as the best, you must beat the best. You cannot count yourself as the best when you only spank the small boys all the time.”

Ngidi too said he was delighted to have drawn Sundowns, saying the big teams tended to ‘bring out the best out of our players and this game will be no exception’. He described their losses to Chiefs in the first round of the Absa Premiership and again when AmaKhosi were holding their 50th celebrations as close calls.

“It was the same with Orlando Pirates in both legs too. We’re going to play Downs at 3pm, daylight, so they can never have an excuse if they are beaten. If anything they can call it daylight robbery. Whenever we play at Makhulong it always becomes a festival.

“We have fans that camp outside the stadium as early as 5am and they bring all sorts of festivities and a carnival atmosphere, and that works perfectly well for our players.”

Other Nedbank Cup quarterfinal fixtures are:

• TS Sporting versus Bloemfontein Celtic
• Baroka versus Black Leopards
• Real Kings versus Bidvest Wits
• Highlands Park versus Mamelodi Sundowns

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