Mathaithai head coach Morena Lothane had nothing but glowing praise for his troops as he was encouraged by the performance despite a 6-0 hammering at the hands of Mamelodi Sundowns in a Nedbank Cup Last 16 clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday night.
Lothane said they can only take positives from playing against the African giants and revealed what Mathaithai learned from the game and will look to implement in the third-tier league.
“We tried to ensure that the boys are ready for Sundowns, and they didn’t disappoint as they played well even though the score was 6-0. We worked hard and prevented them from scoring more,” he said.
“And I am happy as we were also a threat in front of their goal and we are grateful for the experience we got from playing a strong side like Sundowns.
“We learned game management; the way Sundowns managed the game showed us clearly that we are indeed a small team but heading in the right direction.
“The way they kept the ball with a slow tempo, rotated the ball, the way they committed numbers when we won the ball, forcing us into making mistakes, pressing us high, those are the things I learned, and we hope to apply when we play at our level [Free State ABC Motsepe League].”
