University of Limpopo coach Strada Dhlamini said that their dramatic defeat against North West University in Mafikeng was a tough pill to swallow.
The Varsity Football newcomers had the lead twice against NWU, but fell short of their first-ever victory as they went down 3-2 in the end.
Dhlamini said that his team fought very hard, and they did well, but unfortunately lady luck did not smile on them.
He said: “The match was tough, entertaining, exciting, electrifying and a highly tactical game.”
Dhlamini said that he believes this tournament is a learning curve for his players, he said that his team have accepted the result and they will pick up the pieces and soldier on.
“We committed one or two and that is how we got punished, but credit should go to North West, they piled up the pressure and got they got the goals.
“I think we missed one of our striker Johannes Manamela, I think we really missed. Its a game, it’s a sport. We can’t all be winners. We just came short in that game,” Dhlamini said.
He explained that they need to defend as a team, not as individuals. He stressed that teamwork at this level is important.
Dhlamini admitted that the prospects of making the semifinal look very slim at this stage, but football is a game of surprises.
“It will be hard to overtake the current top four teams, we will not throw in the towel. If anybody makes a mistake we will be ready to fight and take their place on the log,” he said.
Clyde Kgatla and Mahlatse Mohale scored the goals for the Men of the North. The defeat sees Limpopo languishing bottom of the Varsity Football log, with their next fixture against University of Pretoria on Monday evening.
By Noko Pela
