Tinkler feels title their’s for taking
SuperSport to face TP Mazembe in Confed Cup final ‘Self-belief is key’ for Ajax
SUPERSPORT United coach Eric Tinkler is confident his side can lift the African Confederation Cup this season as they prepare to face DR Congo giants TP Mazembe in the two-legged final next month.
SuperSport will win the biggest ever payday in the club’s history if they successfully negotiate their way around Mazembe over the two legs with a staggering $1.25-million (R17million) set aside for the winners.
Matsatsantsa have already played Mazembe twice this season in the group stages where they claimed a 2-2 draw in Lubumbashi and held them to a 0-0 at home‚ suggesting the two sides are evenly matched.
SuperSport booked their final spot with an excellent 3-1 away win at Tunisian side Club Africain on Sunday night that sealed a 4-2 aggregate win.
“I explained to the players that we needed to come here [to Rades]‚ to this hostile crowd and hostile environment‚ and play without fear. That’s how we have to treat the game against TP Mazembe‚ irrespective of all of the experience that they have‚” Tinkler told reporters after Sunday’s game in Tunisia.
SuperSport triumphed over Club Africain with a brace from Bradley Grobler and a 10th strike of the competition for Jeremy Brockie‚ and Tinkler feels they were full value for their win.
“I think the first 30 minutes of the first half‚ I thought we were very good. I thought we showed great composure on the ball‚” he said.
“The decision-making was very‚ very good. We knew they would come and play a 4-3-3 formation‚ we just weren’t too sure whether they would play with three defensive midfielders STANLEY Menzo says his Ajax Cape Town side showed their best football of the season in the first half of their 2-1 home victory over Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday.
The Ajax coach was a relieved man after the result but now hopes the side has turned the corner after they collected their second victory of the campaign thanks to goals from Bantu Mzwakali and Tashreeq Morris.
“We played the best first half of the season‚” he told reporters after the match.
“The second half we couldn’t play anymore because Celtic pressed us higher. Because of that we lost a little bit of confidence and then in the second half you have to say it is all about the win. But I think we won the game in the first half with the way we played.”
Ajax did have to withstand Celtic pressure in the second period‚ but Menzo said it was normal in a game.
“We can’t play like Barcelona for the whole 90 minutes and from what I or two defensive and one attacking.
“I think the fact they played with defensive midfielders actually played to our advantage. That meant they would be sitting back and looking to only really hurt us on the counter and I thought we dealt with them very well in the first 30 minutes.”
Tinkler adds that his side’s opening goal actually appeared to put more pressure on his team.
“We created chances‚ we got the lead and immediately after scoring we changed the way we played. I think the players to a degree started to panic a little bit. We started just knocking long balls and that was playing straight into their hands.
“The response from the players in the second half was exceptional. We started showing the same intensity and composure.”
Tinkler reveals that a change in formation helped to keep the Tunisians at bay as SuperSport switched to a counter-attack mode when ahead.
“We landed up changing the formation going with three at the back‚ playing with a 3-5-2 and were now looking to break on the counter against them. We ended up getting the third and possibly could have got more.
“So I’m extremely proud of the performance of the team. It’s been a long run to get where we are and we thoroughly deserve to be in that final.”
Skipper Dean Furman said players are determined to lift trophy.
“These boys put in an unbelievable shift. For 10 months now we have been going in this tournament‚ we want to lift that trophy now. One more hurdle to overcome. We want to lift this‚ we want to get that star on our shirts‚” he said. the the saw in the first 45 minutes and I look at circumstances‚ I’m very satisfied with the win.”
The Dutch coach also hinted that his side’s poor run had knocked the confidence of the players‚ which in turn led them to make more mistakes than they usually would.
“For the players it is confidence‚ it is so important and belief can make a player not afraid to make mistakes. If you don’t have confidence you will be afraid to make mistakes and then you will make them. In the first half we had a lot of confidence because we played good football‚ and then we didn’t make so many mistakes.”
Menzo also feels that even through the poor run of the side‚ he did enough for them to win matches‚ it was simply execution that let them down.
“I want the players to believe they can win‚ I put a lot of effort into that at training‚ but when it comes to the 90 minutes‚ it is up to the guys.”
Ajax are next in action away to Polokwane City in the Telkom Knockout first round on Saturday.