A plan gone bad, says Ntseki of Peterson’s costly blunder

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Molefi Ntseki has taken responsibility for the early goal they conceded within 10 seconds of their MTN8 semi finals match against Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. 

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Sundowns’ Peter Shalilile found the net in record time, marking the fastest goal in MTN8 history. 

The goal occurred when Brandon Peterson received the ball directly from the kick-off, but the Namibian striker pounced on him, took possession of the ball and went on to score. 

This rapid start to the game, in the fiery atmosphere at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium, set the tone for an intense encounter that had fans from both sides gripped until the final whistle.

After the incident, some in the Chiefs supporters started calling for Peterson to be replaced by Itumeleng Khune. 

Ntseki defends Peterson

But Ntseki has defended his keeper, saying the mistake was not his alone and that it emanated from their game plan. 

“In this case when you talk of Brandon, that mistake started somewhere,” said Ntseki. 

“A mistake can be technical or tactical and also mental. And if you look at the situation, when we started playing, it was more of a tactical ploy. 

“But we knew that it would be putting us under pressure. He could have done better, and he was fully aware of our tactical ploy. But it didn’t work on the day.

“And iIf it was a tactical ploy, it was not his mistake, it’s a mistake we all made and we own up to. 

“But the most important thing with Brandon is that he is a leader, a very strong person. We are also not looking to say, ‘it was your mistake’.

“It was a mistake that happened, we did not respect and observe the critical phases of the game. 

“We planned to start on the front foot, if that ball was played forward, we would have started the game on the front foot. 

“But it didn’t happen and we ended up conceding. And that does not mean we have to point fingers at each other.” 

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Ntseki, who is facing immense pressure after the team’s exit from the MTN8, has his work cut out.