PIC: Casric Stars owner/coach Joseph ‘Bucs’ Mthombeni

Second-tier Casric Stars have been one of the revelations of the 2026 Nedbank Cup and have earned themselves a semi-final clash against Durban City.

It puts them within touching distance of a major cup final and having already seen off Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu in competition this season, they have shown themselves to be a force to be reckoned with. 
Owner/coach Joseph ‘Bucs’ Mthombeni has masterminded their success, including the 2-1 extra-time win over Usuthu in Durban this past weekend.
He chats about that game, the team’s performance this season and how the Nedbank Cup can be a huge platform for his players.

Congratulations on booking your place in the next round. What are your thoughts on the win over AmaZulu?
Mthombeni: It was a tough game, especially because of the weather conditions. At one stage, it felt like we were playing in Cape Town, because those are the kind of conditions we usually face there. I thought AmaZulu were better in possession, but our plan was always to come here, suffer a little bit, defend well and then look for our chance to score.

We managed to get the goal, and I think we also created another clear opportunity, but we were a bit rushed in that moment. If we had made it 2-0, I think it would have been easier for us to manage the game. But credit must also go to AmaZulu. They pushed hard, especially after their game on Wednesday, and they threw everything at us.

I made sure we prepared properly, especially to deal with their full-backs going forward. I told the boys we needed to use the spaces well, compress them, and make sure their wing-backs could not keep going forward freely. I knew that after 70 minutes they would start to tire, and then I told the boys to apply more energy because we were the fresher side. That is when we started to play more of our football.

I am still going to review the goal we conceded, but overall I thought our defensive structure was good. I believe we deserved the result. I also want to give credit to the players, the supporters who travelled, and the management for the support they continue to give us.

You have now eliminated topflight clubs Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu. How special is that and what does it say about your team’s potential?
For me, it shows that if we can get promotion, we will be able to compete against the big teams. It is also very good for the profile of these players to grow. I told them this was a live TV game against one of the best teams, so it was a chance for them to prove that they also belong at that level.

They must use these opportunities well and market themselves. But more importantly, they are playing for the badge and for the brand of the club. Playing against teams like this also helps attract interest and, hopefully, sponsors, because we are a club surviving on a very small budget. I think this result can help put Casric Stars in a better position and make more people recognise the team.

Do results like this also help you measure how far the team has come and whether you can compete in the top flight?
Definitely. It is still a work in progress and there is still a lot we need to improve. But we have brought in experienced players like (Mfundo) Thikazi and (Justice) Chabalala to help the younger players and strengthen the team. They also bring important experience into the dressing room.

If you look at a player like Thikazi, I told him this was a platform to show that he comes from a different level and that he can still make a big contribution. These matches are important for growth and for testing ourselves.

Some people say competing on two fronts can hurt your promotion chances. Do cup wins over big teams perhaps give your players the confidence to do both?
I think we just need to be patient. We cannot say now that we are going to win both. But as long as we keep winning, it puts us in a good position and gives us the possibility of even reaching the final.

You were emotional at the final whistle. What was going through your mind?
I do not know, but I think the spirit of my mother just came to me in that moment. If my mother was still alive, I know she would have been very proud. She used to sit in front of the TV the whole day watching football.

She gave us the freedom to focus on the sport, and she always believed that it was better for children to be involved in football than to be out there doing the wrong things. She supported us and even cooked for us.

That is one of the things that made me emotional. The second was the pressure we were under. A lot of people had been wishing us luck, and even before the game there were so many questions about whether we could do it. To come here and win under those circumstances was emotional.

How do you keep the players grounded now that they are getting attention and top-flight clubs may start looking at them?
What I am emphasising to the boys is that they must not celebrate and forget that football is a long journey. We must go back, stay focused and take it one game at a time.

I am fortunate to have good management supporting me, and they will also speak to the players and remind them that this result is now in the past. History will always be there, but each person still has a journey ahead of them. We need to sit down with the boys and say: this is done, now let us focus on the next game, because the league is bigger than the trophy at this stage.

You have been in the play-offs before. Do you feel pressure to secure automatic promotion this season?
Since the start of the season, our aim has been automatic promotion. We know it is tough, but we will try to stay patient and keep the players in the right frame of mind.

Of course, it would be nice to have another team from Mpumalanga in the top flight next season. I have been in the play-offs before, and they are difficult because you are playing against a team coming from the Betway Premiership, and that is always an advantage for them. We do not want to put ourselves under unnecessary pressure, but whatever comes, we will accept it and do our best. Our focus remains on trying to get automatic promotion.

Are plans already being prepared for next season, especially if other clubs start showing interest in your players?
I leave that to the office and the administration. My focus is on the football. The office will deal with those matters.

Obviously, if our players are being looked at by clubs like Pirates or Chiefs, it means the brand of the team is growing, and that is a positive thing.