Sekhukhune United head coach Eric Tinkler has opened up on his struggles to beat Stellenbosch FC ahead of the crucial MTN8 semi-final second-leg.
Babina Noko have their work cut out for them in the return leg. They’ll need to turn the tables after a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Cape Winelands side in the first-leg last week.
Tinkler, who’ll be spearheading the Limpopo side, is also hoping to break the Stellies spell, having failed to beat them since his Cape Town City FC days.
He says he’s been learning so much about Steve Barker’s team and their style of play, explaining that he understands their strengths and what makes them so dangerous.
Tinkler believes the key to victory lies in “good decision-making” in the final third. He’s confident that if his team executes, they can get the better of the Western Cape side this Saturday at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, where the match kicks off at 6 PM.
TINKLER LOOKING TO BREAK HIS STELLENBOSCH SPELL
“Since I was at Cape Town City, I have never beaten Stellies, so I’ve been learning a lot over the past five years,” said Tinkler.
“Stellies, as I said before, they’re a team that is built for a counter-attack. They are a team that waits for the mistake that the opposition makes.
“And they’re extremely dangerous on a counter-attack, and trying to stop that is not an easy task. But I think what tends to happen a lot of times, you try and be brave on the ball, in attack and creating the opportunities, you make a mistake, and what we need to make sure is we don’t make those mistakes.
“They have players that, defensively, will cheat, and that’s what ends up hurting you in the counter-attack. So, if they have the players who are cheating, you have to make sure that you punish them.
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