Maccabi skipper Thapelo Tshilo has urged his teammates to guard against complacency when they host third-tier side The Magic in the first round of the Nedbank Cup at Dobsonville Stadium tonight (7.30pm).

National First Division (NFD) clubs in the form of Witbank Spurs, Mbombela United, TS Galaxy, Cape Umoya and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila have already booked their berths in the last 16 of the Ke Yona competition.

Maccabi and Jomo Cosmos, who face Baroka in another match tonight, are under pressure to join fellow NFD clubs in the next round.

Should they both advance, it would be a rare feat that all eight second-tier clubs reach the last 16.

Tshilo, 33, has admitted that it was tricky to plan for The Magic due to sketchy information on the Cape minnows.

Nevertheless, the Maccabi captain has cautioned his teammates against underestimating the Western Cape ABC Motsepe League outfit.

"Playing teams from the Motsepe League is never easy. Our preparations were a bit tricky because we did not get enough details about The Magic. But that does not mean we must be complacent. We will treat this match like any other match," said Tshilo.

"We must respect our opponents because this is football....it humbles people."

The former Cosmos, Mamelodi Sundowns and Polokwane City defender banks on his squad's experience and feels they can handle competition for a play-off berth and stake their claim in the Ke Yona Cup.

"We have seasoned campaigners in the team . the likes of Collins Mbesuma, Lebo [Lebohang Mokoena] and [Ndiviwe] Mdabuka. I mean players who have done it before. We can juggle Nedbank and fight to get into play-offs," stated Tshilo.