Sekhukhune United coach Cedric Kaze has conceded that his side will need to find a different approach against Orlando Pirates after failing to make enough of an attacking impression in their MTN8 semi-final first leg.
The Buccaneers left the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium with a 1-0 advantage after Deon Hotto’s second-half strike, leaving Sekhukhune needing to win in Soweto to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive. For Kaze, the biggest concern was not the deficit itself, but how little threat his team carried going forward.
Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine had relatively little to do for large periods, with Sekhukhune struggling to turn possession into meaningful opportunities in the final third.
"It’s a game I think we started defensively well, but I will say that we didn’t have the right intentions and convictions to go forward," said Kaze at the post-match press conference.
The coach felt there was an improvement after the break, but believes his players still lacked the composure required to punish Pirates.
"In the second half, we tried to rectify this with better intentions and a positive mindset going forward as well. I would say that we lacked a little bit of composure in the final third."
The challenge is now even greater, with Babina Noko having to overturn the one-goal deficit away from home when the teams meet again at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday. Kaze, however, has refused to accept that the tie is beyond his side.
"I believe we still have 90 minutes to come out on top and we will do everything to get it done."
Sekhukhune will first face Pirates in the Betway Premiership on Tuesday before returning to the same venue for the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final.
The league encounter could provide Kaze with valuable information ahead of the decisive cup fixture, but it also presents the risk of giving Pirates another opportunity to expose the same weaknesses.
"Obviously, we are going away at a disadvantage in the second leg. But if you want to win something, those are the moments you have to go through," Kaze said. "It’s up to us to come with strong mindsets and a strong belief that we can reverse the situation."
With two meetings against the same opponent in the space of five days, Kaze has little time to find the answer. If Sekhukhune are to turn the tie around, their attacking game will have to look very different from what it produced in the first leg.