Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler has brushed off suggestions that they underestimated Milford FC during their Nedbank Cup defeat on Saturday.
Sekhukhune crashed out of the Nedbank Cup in the quarter-final stage after a 3-2 loss via a penalty shootout at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. The two teams played to a 2-2 draw after extra time.
Their defeat comes after another Premiership side, AmaZulu FC were eliminated by a Motsepe Foundation Championship side, in Casric Stars earlier in the day.
For Babina Noko, the Nedbank Cup exit comes as a huge setback for a club that has invested a lot in their playing personnel at the beginning of the season, hoping to at least get some silverware.
However, despite the defeat, Tinkler says he was pleased with his players’ performance during the match.
ERIC TINKLER HAPPY WITH HIS PLAYERS’ PERFORMANCES DESPITE THE DEFEAT
“I am very happy with the performance that our boys put on tonight,” he told journalists.
“I think they were exceptional and I don’t think we’ve played like that since the break. So I’m very proud of the effort they put in. It’s heartbreaking for them, but I’m very proud of their performance.”
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Tinkler was asked whether he felt his players had underestimated their opponents on the day.
“No, not at all. Like I said, our team performed exceptionally well,” added a visibly disappointed Tinkler.
“We were by far the best team, and we created the most chances during the majority of the game. They spent the match defending, so I don’t think we underestimated them.”
“We all knew that this was never going to be an easy match against Milford. It doesn’t matter whether they are a division lower or not. You always have to raise your level and play to a higher level, and I thought we did that today.”
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