Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane says their reaction after the Nedbank Cup semi-final draw against Orlando Pirates was not a celebration’.
Chiefs booked their place in the last-four of the competition with a 2-1 win over Royal AM last month at Chatsworth Stadium where they were pictured in jubilation after the draw for the Soweto Derby.
However, their rivals have knocked them out on their home turf to book a place in the final where they will meet the winner of Sekhukhune United against Stellenbosch, which will take place on Sunday afternoon in the Cape Winelands.
After Chiefs’ defeat to Pirates at the FNB Stadium, Zwane addressed the scenes when parts of Chiefs’ management and some players were seen celebrating being paired against their bitter rivals, who they had beaten five times before Saturday’s clash, in the Nedbank Cup draw for the semi-finals.
“No I don’t think [there was overconfidence], the celebration was not about taking Pirates for granted,” Zwane said in response to iDiski Times.
“It was more of… whoever, even if it was another team, we were still going to celebrate, but for us, it was not a celebration, to be honest, it was an ‘okay bring it on’.
“Obviously it’s one of the big games in the South African football calendar and if you play against your direct rivals… you always want to get the best out of the players and the players as well see this as an opportunity to showcase their talents.
“Each and everyone today, for two hours, if not more, South Africa came more or less to a standstill watching this game, who doesn’t want to be part and parcel of that, it’s history in the making. So yes unfortunately we ended up on the losing side.
“But I’m still proud of the guys and the effort they gave today and the commitment you know. It wasn’t to be, we learn from this, move on, and try and rectify our mistakes going forward and give our best all the time.”
Chiefs will now end another season without silverware which has stretched to eight years.
Before the game starts, former Kaizer Chiefs FC winger Junior Khanye said Pirates will beat his former team.
Junior Khanye: “They beat Sundowns 3-0, why can’t they beat Kaizer Chiefs?”
Junior Khanye believes Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC will be victorious in this weekend’s Nedbank Cup semi-finals and that Stellenbosch FC will end up lifting the trophy.
“I don’t think they’ve got a team that can compete [at this level], especially with trophies on the line and where there is pressure. Psychologically, I don’t think the team is strong enough.” he told idiski tv
“Pirates have got the players, they’ve got the mental strengths, but Jose Riveiro still needs to prove himself in the derby,” he explained.
“But Pirates have experienced players to win this game and they also got the goalkeeper now. Their downfall was the keeper.
“In the derbies they’ve lost, it was down to the goalkeeper, but Chaine makes a huge difference. He can read situations, he can play with his feet, he is very comfortable in terms of ball-handling.
“So Pirates have got a very strong team now and they are winning, they are on good form. In terms of quality of the players, they are number two behind Mamelodi Sundowns.
“They beat Sundowns 3-0, why can’t they beat Kaizer Chiefs?”
