Chiefs booked their spot in the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup after edging Eagles 1-0 thanks to a winner by Lebogang Manyama 20 minutes before time.
"Ja, we're qualified to the next round, I was aware about it, there's nothing new if you're playing against a team with a 100 percent tactical strategy to defend," Middendorp told SuperSport TV.
"In the first half we had three very good possibilities, we took it too casual. With every minute we encourage the opponent to get more stronger and stronger, good in the end one goal was enough, it's okay."
The German tactician was asked if Chiefs took Eagles seriously, given their position at the bottom of the GladAfrica Championship.
"It doesn't matter which team [you play against], very often it is ,'Ah I want a big team', 'Ah, why am I getting a big team?' It's very often said. It's easy said, I hear it all the time from random coaches.
"But you you know this type of, where you have to be active, where you have to unlock, you have to do the running patterns right, use of the chances, produce the chances with unlocking.
"This is the difficult stuff, this is the difficult matter and challenge in a cup competition. If you play a PSL team, it goes up and down, that's a different story but good, we handled it well, so far we're qualified for the next round and now we're looking forward to the next match," he added.