Africa-Press – Eswatini. ROYAL Leopard coach Edwin Matsebula has picked a few lessons from the Total Energies CAF Confederation Cup group stages’ campaign and reckons quality is needed to survive at this stage of the competition.
The police ensemble has lost all four of their group matches with the latest being Sunday night’s 3-0 defeat to Orlando Pirates in Johannesburg.
Matsebula added that discipline in defensive areas is needed to win games at this stage and that his side picked valuable lessons for next season. Games Mathematically, Leopard are out of the tournament and their remaining games against Libya’s Al Ittihad Tripoli away on Sunday and the home game against JS Saoura of Algeria on April 3 will be dead-rubber.
Matsebula lamented having to play with a makeshift defence at this crucial stage following the injuries of Machawe Dlamini and Sikhumbuzo Magagula, among others. On Sunday, Matsebula was forced to use defensive midfielder Mzwandile Mabelesa as a centre back. “We were better defensively today compared to the game in Mbombela.
My players did not play to the whistle, which was our major undoing that led to Pirates opening goal. We stopped playing after the assistant referee flagged on the other side and Pirates went on to score. I feel that goal disorganised us,” he said.
“As I said before, it is a learning curve for us as it is our first time to reach this stage of the competition. We will take the lessons going forward.”
Achievement
Matsebula added that Leopard’s achievement in the CAF Confederation Cup was good for the senior national team Sihlangu who are currently in camp for their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier match against Somalia later this month.
The strategist, however, said his side’s focus now was on getting at least one win from the remaining two matches to bow out with dignity.
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