Chiefs enter the same competition which they historically lost to lower division side TS Galaxy in Durban last year, and will be looking to erase their ghosts from 2018/19.
While many continue to dwell on the disappointment, Middendorp has insisted there is nothing to prove this season as they look to make amends.
The German is adamant that he Amakhosi never lost the cup last season as it was never theirs to claim, while further urging everyone to be more positive about their current situation.
"You can't lose anything that you don't have. We never lost something, it simply was not ours. Therefore, in this moment [last season doesn't matter]," said Middendorp.
"We had a total different team last year, so why should I really go into this package and go backwards, and whatever?
"Life is so fantastic; life is so good; so why are we always [looking back]? That's a bigger problem that I think, being 61, please allow me to say, start first with more positive thinking and putting positive stuff into this.
"Let's look forward to having a good game and respect each other going into it, and take it more from the positive way. I think the entire society is waiting for this, in terms of having it in a productive way, and I think that's more my strategy.
"Maybe there were other miserable days in the past, relating to last season, but anyway… That's not my step to talk about last year's final."