Goalkeeper Brandon Petersen believes the Nedbank Cup presents Kaizer Chiefs with a chance to prove their critics wrong and end a 10-year trophy drought.
Having already lost out on the MTN8 and Carling Knockout for the season, and with the league title triumph already looking like a mammoth task, Chiefs' most realistic chance for silverware this season comes in the form of the Nedbank Cup.
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They take on ABC Motsepe League side Free Agents FC in the Last 32 on Sunday at FNB Stadium.
Nasreddine Nabi's charges have not enjoyed much success against lower division sides in the competition, losing out to Milford FC in the first hurdle last term after a penalty shootout.
Petersen, though, remains optimistic that this may be the season the side's fortunes finally turn.
"It would be extra motivation to the guys knowing that at the moment it's only the Nedbank Cup and the league that's still up for grabs," Petersen told journalists at the Nedbank Cup draw.
"So, I think realistically speaking, going for this trophy and trying to change our fortunes and obviously using that as a motivation, a stepping stone. But at the end of the day, the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding.
"I think for us, it's applying ourselves properly and hopefully turning our fortunes around this season.
"Hopefully, we can use this cup to change everyone's mind, to give everyone that faith, that hope and that belief in us, that we are still alive.
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"In this cup competition, we have a rich history and this season we can turn it around and prove everyone wrong," said the former Bidvest Wits man.
Chiefs will be looking to draw confidence from their recent run of form that has produced three wins from five matches.