Marumo Gallants are through to the final of the Nedbank Cup after a 1-0 win over Tshakhuma, but coach Dan Malesela said he had to give his team hell at half-time after they didn’t exert themselves in the first 45 minutes.
A Luvolwethu Mpeta own goal was the difference at Thohoyandou Stadium, in a tightly contested match between the two Limpopo outfits..
Malesela said his team weren’t at their best in the first half, and he had to have words with them at half-time.
“Ja, I mean, I wouldn’t say two halves, I think we made our lives difficult in the first half, because we didn’t put any pressure, we didn’t exert ourselves,” Malesela said post match.
“We really played so mildly that you would think these guys are not taking this game serious.
“Until I gave them hell in the change room, and things started to change. We really pushed this team in the second half.
“And obviously, as the game is about to end you see people panicking, and now sitting back a little bit. But that’s the nature of cup matches. But we appreciate what the players did, we appreciate that clean sheet, we appreciate the goal.
“We appreciate every effort that they put in, and that’s why we are in the final now.”
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Malesela said he didn’t take any of his opposing coach Lucky Nelukau’s banter before the game to heart.
“I’m not really interested in that, people talk,” Malesela said.
“It is good for the game, that people market the game, unaware that they’re doing that.
“It’s good to talk, some people talk, I don’t talk too much. I talk to my players and the referees and whoever is on the field ja, those are the people who are involved in the time with the game.
“But if I’m gonna talk somewhere else, when you come here where it matters most, it’s gonna be a problem.”
