Molefi Ntseki laments poor first half but refuses to fault goalkeeper
10th August 2023
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Kaizer Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki admits his side were found wanting in the first half of their 2-1 defeat away to DStv Premiership title holders Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Glamour Boys succumbed to rampant pressure, handing their rivals the win with mistakes from midfielder Edson Castillo as well as goalkeeper Brandon Petersen punished in either half.
Ntseki admitted Downs were the tactically superior outfit.
"I think it was a highly tactical game, when you look at the two teams and the tactical approach – the analysis we had done on Sundowns, and I think they also did the same," said Ntseki.
"But I think tactically, we did not apply ourselves properly in the first half because we were giving them too much of the ball, and they ended up dictating terms while the plan was to stop them from playing through the midfield, which we could not get right."
With Petersen having kept Amakhosi in the game for large spells of the match with breathtaking saves, Ntseki refused to blame the skipper for the two goals he let in.
"When it comes to Brandon, I think things like this do happen in football. If you were to count how many times he came out to save the team, it will nullify the mistakes he made that led to the goals," added the coach.
"Anything that happens in a game of football, it's a team effort. If you were to look back and try to trace where the first mistake was made, it is not only about him letting in the goal, but the whole team made a mistake and that's how we conceded."
