Kaizer Chiefs coach Steve Komphela has stressed the importance of defeating Free State Stars in a bid to reach the Nedbank Cup final.

The Soweto giants booked their spot in the semi-finals of the competition after a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Baroka and will be hopinbg for more of the same when they entertain El La Koto on Saturday night.

“We have discussed this as a team and we all agree, this is a must win,’ Komphela told the club’s official website.

“We have worked very well to prepare and all that’s left is to get the result.

“We beat them two weeks ago in a league fixture. A cup match poses a different dynamics though. There’s a breeze of determination in the camp. The players are fully aware of what is at stake in this one.

“But it won’t be easy, it will be tough – Stars are one of the teams to beat in the league this season and they are always a threat,” he added.

Chiefs and Stars have already clashed twice this seson, with the Naturena outfit securing four points out of a possible six.

“We have a full squad available to choose the best eleven from. Rama and Tower have returned to training and that augurs well for our prospects, while Teenage will go through a late fitness test.

“Paulus Masehe is their reliable player to watch. Nhlanhla Vilakazi and Sinethemba Jantjie are also always a handful,” he concluded.

The two sides clash at 20:15 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

-This story originally appeared on SportsClub.co.za