Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp will have to help his team bounce back quickly after being knocked out of the Telkom Knockout at the semifinal stage on Sunday.
Amakhosi fell to a 2-1 defeat to Maritzburg United at the Mbombela Stadium but the Soweto giants cannot dwell on the loss for long.
Chiefs are back in league action on Wednesday when they travel to Cape Town to take on Stellenbosch FC.
The Glamour Boys currently have a 10-point lead at the top of the standings and Middendorp said his side cannot afford to take their foot off the gas with three rounds of fixtures still remaining before the festive break.
Middendorp said: “It’s sometimes very nice to be on top of the league but the more difficult job steps in now, which is to stay there.
“You have to do more; be even more prepared and even [do] whatever is possible in addition in order to challenge yourself.
“You know, there’s always something that progressing is always on the edge. If you are sitting in a position and say, ‘Let’s relax’ or whatever – no.
“You have to challenge each and everybody; each management member; each team member; each player and so forth.
“Okay, that doesn’t really make you a person that’s lovable [because] you’re causing a little bit of stress, but that’s what we have to do.
“We have to be more and better prepared; we have to fight for our better preparation.”