In soccer, cup games are great levellers.
Past form counts for nothing. Whoever performs best on the day wins the match.
It's that unpredictability that has Cape Town's soccer coaches rather cautious ahead of this evening's Coca-Cola Cup double bill at Newlands.
In the opening match at 6.30pm Hellenic take on defending champions Jomo Cosmos and, at 8.30pm, Ajax Cape Town face Dynamos.
The two coaches, Ajax's Gordon Igesund and Clemens Westerhof of Hellenic, find themselves in contrasting situations.
Igesund has turned Ajax around after a disappointing run last season, while Westerhof has promised to resign if his struggling team gets hammered again.
"There are no easy games, but we have to win for ourselves and for Cape football," said Igesund.
"We had a 1-0 away league victory over Dynamos this season, but cup games are different.
"It is a one-off affair with no pressure of looking for points, so I expect a close game.
"Cup games have seen minnows humble mighty clubs. Dynamos are struggling a bit in the league and they will want to turn things around in the cup.
"We have a fit squad, so selection will be our only problem - and it's a good problem to have."
Westerhof, whose Hellenic side have picked up only one point in seven league games, is still full of confidence that his team will turn the corner and he is hoping that it will happen tonight.
"Anywhere in the world, if a coach has picked up one point from seven games, he would be fired. I am surprised I am still in a job," said Dutchman Westerhof.
"We have a number of inexperienced players. They are getting it together, but we need a few quality players to boost the squad.
"It is not good for the spirit of the players to read in the newspapers that the club may be up for sale. That thought has now been squashed, so they should play with a lot more freedom and confidence tonight."
Both coaches agreed that the time has come to bring the trophies to Cape Town instead of everything landing up north.
Westerhof particularly alluded to the manner in which Santos lost out to Kaizer Chiefs in the first round of the Coke Cup two weeks ago.
"It was a disgrace how Santos were eliminated from the competition.
"If Chiefs' David Kannemeyer qualifies for the goal of the series then his team-mate Arthur Zwane should win the save of the series, for stopping the ball from entering the net with his hand," he said.