Richards Bay co-coach Papi Zothwane remained proud of his side despite their defeat to Orlando Pirates, saying his players gave a good account of themselves and were not easily overrun by their opponents.
The Natal Rich Boyz went down 2-0 to Pirates in a Betway Premiership clash at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday, though Zothwane believes his side could have done better in certain moments.
The KwaZulu-Natal outfit had a late opportunity when Nashixwa Tuli found himself clean through on goal. Instead of going for goal, he attempted a reverse pass inside the box, allowing Pirates defenders to recover and clear the danger.
“I think it was a good match, considering we were playing Pirates, who are fighting for the league and have the quality that they possess,” said Papi Zothwane.
“But I must say our players played exceptionally well. Unfortunately, the goal came in a situation where I think we could have done better.
“When you are playing against Pirates, you cannot give them space in behind. We managed that well for most of the game, but I felt that in the first half we defended too deep, and that is where the goal came from.
“After that we responded better. In the second half we tried to push the defensive line higher and take the game to Pirates.
“But when you are playing Pirates, with the quality they have, you will always face challenges when trying to put them on the back foot because they can exploit the space behind.
“Our boys gave a good account of themselves. They played well, and although we didn’t take the chances we had, we can still build on this performance.”
The Natal Rich Boyz will now make the short trip within KwaZulu-Natal to face AmaZulu in a KZN derby at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday (18:00).
