No excuses, says Chiefs coach after loss

Kaizer Chiefs coach Giovanni Solinas called their closed-doors Absa Premiership match at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban a funeral, but he probably did not expect his team to be buried as Polokwane City came out smiling and with the full points after a battling 1-0 victory.

City took the lead on Saturday through Vusumusi Mngomezulu’s 45th-minute cracker from long range and Amakhosi were unable to mount a comeback.

Playing without any fans in the stadium, Solinas had anticipated it would be difficult for his team as their supporters give them a massive boost. But the Italian refused to use that as an excuse for the defeat.

“No excuses,” he said. “I will not make the lack of supporters an excuse. We didn’t lose the game because there were no supporters. It was not an easy game.

“We didn’t exploit the space they gave us behind their defence in the first half. We performed better in the second half. They got one chance and used it,” he added.

READ: City put a dent in Chiefs’ campaign

Solinas lamented his side’s impotency up front but is adamant the goals will flow again. It was a second successive game in which the Glamour Boys had failed to score following the goalless draw at Highlands Park last week.

“Sometimes it happens in football. I am sure the team will continue to score because we play attacking football and we create chances. It is a pity we have lost just before the Fifa break. I was hoping we would go into the break with our morale high. But we have to move on.”

When it was put to him that a club keen on winning the league does not lose or draw against unfancied opponents like Highlands and Polokwane, Solinas said that did not hold water as there were no easy games.

“Highlands and Polokwane are good teams. Highlands got a result against (Mamelodi) Sundowns away, they got a result at Orlando against Pirates and also against us. Polokwane beat Wits with 10 men. Nothing is easy in this league,” said Solinas.

He said the defeat may just prove to be a good lesson for his team who had a marvellous run last month, winning three out of three matches they played in the Premiership.

“This is a lesson. We need to understand because we will play a lot of games like this – games where teams will stay back and wait to counter-attack.”

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