Tornado get it in neck from coach
A narrow win was all they could muster in the final
Tornado coach Tshepo Motsoeneng took a swipe at his players for what he termed “the worst performance” he’d ever seen since taking over the reins at the ABC Motsepe League defending champions.
Motsoeneng was reacting to their 1-0 win against SAB League outfit, Mqanduli United during the final of the Nedbank Cup playoffs at Mthatha Stadium at the weekend. The result sent the Mdantsane-based outfit through to the last 32 teams in the lucrative cup competition.
A defensive error cost United the game after a deflection by right-back Mihlali Gova in the 27th minute was misread by keeper Lamulani Shange resulting in an own goal.
Motsoeneng told reporters at a post-match interview: “I must give credit where it’s due, Mqanduli United came and didn’t show fear.
“I went to watch them when they were playing their final (SAB League Nedbank Cup playoffs) and they are a good team.
“I think they scored about 12 goals in the tournament and they conceded about two, they had errors here and there but United are a good team.
“And I think they are going to compete in the SAB League and tactically if they didn’t respect names or familiar faces they could have hurt us, because they had most of the possession to be honest.”
The former Free State Stars goalkeeper said his men didn’t look like they were a superior team even though they were campaigning in the third-tier league playing against an SAB League side.
“It doesn’t matter if you are in an upper league, if you don’t execute the plan you have it looks bad on you. During the game it looked like we were more depending on how we could get them on the break attacks, of which that’s not how we play and it looked ugly.
“And when the whistle blew we were supposed to be celebrating, but United was more happier than us, because they could have taken the game from us and I’ll give credit to these guys.”
Motsoeneng said since his charges have narrowly qualified for the Nedbank Cup, it was time to switch on and concentrate on collecting more points in the League.
“We have to improve from now, because I can’t go to a game where I’ve watched the opponents playing and spend my time planning.
“Give the report to the players and then they play the way they did here. For example if we leave here and go to Loftus [Versfeld Stadium] they will slaughter us there, but if we go there with our game intact we might come right.
“And to be honest we were never in the game against Mqanduli United, we never took a shot on target,” said Motsoeneng.
Mnqanduli United chairperson Mfanelo Nzuzo said he was very pleased with his boys’ fighting spirit as they stood up to ABC Motsepe giants.
“I’m happy even though we lost, but any team would have lost against a strong side like Tornado. There had to be a loser, but our players really fought hard and we are only sad that for that own goal that cost us the match.
“It was an honest mistake the boys. It was just the communication error between our defence and our keeper that failed us. But we don’t mind because we are still competing in the league – and it’s still open,” said Nzuzo.
He said communication at the back was the only thing they had to work on as we get back to their SAB League commitments.
“If it wasn’t for that own goal the result would have been different. The boys really gave their all it’s just that one mistake that cost us this game. Even my strikers tried everything but they couldn’t find goals, but I’m proud of them.
“We just couldn’t penetrate Tornado.”
To be honest we were never in the game against Mqanduli United