Baroka coach Nyirenda feeling humble

Having made history following their triumph over Orlando Pirates in the final of the Telkom Knockout at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, one would have expected Baroka FC coach Wedson Nyirenda to be walking tall after the match.

But it wasn’t the case for the man who in his first season with the Limpopo outfit led the club to their first major trophy in the PSL after beating the Buccaneers 3-2 in penalties following their 2-2 draw after extra-time.

Nyirenda was calm and relaxed during the post-match press conference, giving his players credit for the job and admitting that the Soweto giants had been on top.

“I feel great and humbled by my players for the job they have done. They are great boys and are still learning.

“The journey hasn’t been easy, right from the first day, but here we are today because of perseverance and consistency, we are champions,” he added.

READ: I’m still learning PSL football – Nyirenda

“That was the most explosive cup final I have seen in a very long time. Pirates were on top of us with their mature players who know what to do with the ball. They manage the game very well, open up spaces and score.”

Bucs coach Micho Sredojevic’s face meanwhile, had disappointment written all over it. However, looking at the way his charges fought throughout the game despite being a man down for the most part following Nyasha Munetsi’s red card, Sredojevic was proud of his team and says they are looking forward to getting stronger. He said they learned plenty from the game.

“We lost it, but I believe we did not lose. We learned a lesson and we will get stronger because when you go down twice despite being a player down and come back, it’s a sign that we are capable (of achieving great things), unfortunately our investment in the game didn’t pay us back,” said the Bucs coach.

The loss saw the Buccaneers’ 15-game unbeaten streak come to an end ahead of their league clash at Free State Stars tomorrow night.

Baroka will head to Pretoria high on confidence for a meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns on the same night.

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