Bucs last thing on Bees mind
Ambitious side stay focused on league – for now Pep vows to throw caution to the wind
AMATEUR Bhisho outfit EC Bees players might only be two weeks away from playing the biggest game of their careers against Orlando Pirates but the Nedbank Cup last 32 game is the furthest thing from their minds.
The impressive Bees will go headto-head against struggling Premier Soccer League giants Orlando Pirates at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium on March 12.
But the side is focused on the ABC Motsepe League and qualifying for the playoffs come end of the season.
This was confirmed last weekend when Bees thrashed Tornado FC 3-0 at the Bhisho Stadium to maintain PEP Guardiola pledged that Manchester City will continue to fight fire with fire when they take a 5-3 lead to Monaco in their Champions League last-16 tie.
City procured a two-goal advantage after a remarkable first-leg match at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in which they fought back from 2-1 and 3-2 down to put themselves in the driving seat.
Monaco’s goals exposed serious failings in the City rearguard, but although Guardiola acknowledged his side must tighten up at the back, he said they would go to Stade Louis II intending to attack.
“They will attack more and more and we have to defend better. But we will have our chances,” the City manager said.
“We are going to fly to Monaco to score as many goals as possible. We are not going to defend that result.
“We now know each other better. We will adjust some things, they will adjust some things, but we have to score goals.
“If we don’t score a goal in Monaco, we will be eliminated.”
Raheem Sterling gave City a 26thminute lead following a brilliant run from Leroy Sane, but a loose kick by home goalkeeper Willy Caballero enabled Monaco to level through Radamel Falcao’s header.
A dawdling Nicolas Otamendi was at fault for Monaco’s second goal, scored by Kylian Mbappe, and then conceded a penalty, only for Caballero to save Falcao’s effort.
Sergio Aguero and Falcao swapped goals, the former benefiting from a huge error by Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, the latter scoring with a sublime chip, before City found an extra gear.
Aguero volleyed in David Silva’s corner to make it 3-3 in the 71st minute and further goals from John Stones and Sane carried Guardiola’s men to a breathless victory.
Aguero was booked for diving after flinging himself over a challenge by Subasic in the first half, but Guardiola refused to discuss the incident, barking: “Next question!”
Aguero has only returned to the starting XI because of an injury to their unbeaten record.
Bees team manager Zama Nene told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that it was too early for them to think about the Pirates game.
“We don't want to intertwine the two because it will be a very special and important event that will happen on March 12 for the club and the Eastern Cape.
“We might make history. But playing in the playoffs will be another major milestone for the team.
“This is only our second season and we are sitting on position two on the log,” she said. Gabriel Jesus, but he played down suggestions his relationship with Guardiola is frosty.
“The truth is we get on very well,” the Argentine striker said.
“What he wants, above everything, from all the players is that we push a little more. He’s always asking me for more, more, more.
“Obviously it’s a sacrifice I have to make, that we all have to make, and fortunately tonight it worked and we’ll see if it keeps working in the next game.”
Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim said his team had paid for “defensive errors”, but said the “key moment” had been Falcao’s failure to convert his penalty early in the second half.
The visitors were 2-1 up when Otamendi was penalised for going through the back of Falcao, but the Colombian dallied over his spotkick and then saw a tame shot parried by Caballero.
French striker Mbappe, 18, vindicated Jardim’s decision to hand him a first tournament start by calmly netting Monaco’s second goal after Otamendi had been caught out by Fabinho’s free-kick.
Jardim hailed the teenager’s display, but said Monaco’s defensive shortcomings showed the club’s commitment to developing young players was a doubleedged sword.
“I used Kylian upfront today because we know City well. We know there’s lots of space in behind,” Jardim told his post-match press conference.
“I thought he played a great match. The little guy is 18 years old. And that’s part of our project as well.
“The defensive errors are also a question of age, maturity. Kylian is 18. Lots of the players are 20, 21, 22.”
Monaco’s performance confirmed their status as Europe’s most prolific attacking team and gave Jardim hope they can turn the tie around in three weeks’ time.
“I think playing here in England, scoring three goals at City, putting on a great show, is also an important moment,” he said. — AFP
“The goal is to be number one this weekend.”
The team stands a good chance of being at the summit of the log after this weekend’s game as they travel to Port Elizabeth to clash with 14thplaced Swartkops Valley United Brothers. Form points to an easy win for Bees against Brothers who have conceded 47 goals in their 19 games so far.
Nene, who describe the team as a winning family and not a winning team, said they had drummed it into the players to remain grounded.
“We always tell the players not to get too excited about the Pirates games because they might lose focus.
“Once we get close to the Nedbank Cup game, then we will let the players to be excited and focus on the game.
“Their priorities will change if we let them get too excited about the Nedbank Cup now,” said Nene.
“For now, the players are 100% focused on the league and their studies because we have some players who are studying at Lovedale College.”
This is the second year in the running that Bees have made it to the Nedbank Cup last 32. Last year they failed to progress to the last 16 after being dumped out of the cup by then ABC Motsepe League Limpopo-based Magesi FC.
Perhaps getting the players to take each game as it comes instead of thinking ahead and dreaming about playing against Pirates’ stars like Oupa Manyisa, is the perfect plan for the Bhisho team.
While little will be expected from Bees against Pirates, they will be hoping to pull a rabbit out of the hat and deliver what would be one of the biggest shocks in South African soccer by beating the Sea Robbers.