Highlanders assistant coach Joel Luphahla has warned his charges not to underestimate CAPS United ahead of their Sunday’s encounter.

The Bulawayo giants will host the Green Machine at Barbourfields in the Castle Lager Premiership Matchday 25.

Kick-off is at 3 pm CAT.

The visitors have had a turbulent preparation, with players refusing to train in the past week in protest over unpaid allowances.

The fixture was, at on one point, in doubt after the players threatened to boycott the trip.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference on Thursday, Luphahla said: “We are trying to push a little bit further but we have been reading also in the news about what is happening at Caps United, but I just want to say to my boys that we must not read much into what is happening there.

“Caps United have always performed better especially when they are going through these challenges.

“So we may think they are not training and we relax and that it is going to be a walk in the park. They will be motivated. At times when you go on strike, you want to give more to the management because they will be like you didn’t train the whole week and we gave you the money, so you have to be motivated because this is a big game.”