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 hoping 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 dynamic 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 season, 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 [Ramahlwe Mphalele] and Tower [Eric Mathoho] have returned to training and that augurs well for our prospects, while Teenage [Hadebe] 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 8:15pm at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.