AmaZulu coach admits they were lucky after late winner downs Chiefs
AmaZulu FC head coach Pablo Franco Martin had mixed feelings after Usuthu’s 1-0 victory over Kaizer Chiefs in the Carling Black Label Knockout Cup round of 16 at FNB Stadium on Saturday night.
The Spanish mentor admitted AmaZulu were lucky after scoring a late goal through defender Taariq Fielies to beat Amakhosi on their turf.
Martin reckons they had a mountain to climb, as Chiefs gave them a hard time in most parts of the showdown.
However, the KwaZulu-Natal side showed resilience to go toe-to-toe with the highly motivated Chiefs side to salvage a win at the end of the game.
PABLO FRANCO MARTIN ADMITS THEY WERE LUCKY
“It was a nice game for all the fans to watch. I think you guys [Kaizer Chiefs] really played very well,” said Martin in a post-match interview.
“Well, you could see that both teams from the very beginning wanted to qualify for the next round. But this time we were a little bit lucky.
“I think from my side I have to congratulate AmaZulu and my players for what they have done since the beginning of the season despite the difficulties.”
Coach Martin also praised his side on how they have managed to turn things around, having started the season on the wrong foot.
“I think we have a team with more clean sheets since the beginning of the season in this country. I think this is the best time since the creation of PSL League if I’m not mistaken in a cup or Knockout competition AmaZulu is beating Kaizer Chiefs,” he added.
“So, I think it’s a great achievement, especially in this amazing stadium, and really special for me as a Spanish guy. And from there full of joy but congratulations to you guys because you played and we were the ones who were lucky based on the hard work from the very beginning and also think you deserve it.”
AMAZULU’S NEXT ASSIGNMENT
AmaZulu’s next assignment will be against another Soweto giant, Orlando Pirates, on Tuesday, 24 October 2023.
The game will take place at Moses Mabhida Stadium, with the kick-off set for 19:30.
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