Mosimane: Mamelodi Sundowns could've scored six against Kaizer Chiefs

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has blamed missed scoring opportunities for Saturday’s Shell Helix Ultra Cup 4-2 defeat to Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium.

A hat-trick by Leonardo Castro and Khama Billiat’s strike saw a full-strength Chiefs bury Sundowns in the first half.

Mosimane did not start his regular players. His second-half substitutes Jose Ali Meza and Gastron Sirino pulled two goals back for Sundowns but it was too little, too late for the Brazilians.

“…in the second half, we should have had [scored] six goals, let’s be honest. Unbelievable misses, it’s not funny. So this game could have turned around to five or six but could have should have,” Mosimane was quoted by Phakaathi as having told the SABC.

The likes of Tokelo Rantie, Harold Majadibodu, Andile Jali and Oupa Manyisa were afforded some game by starting the match for Sundowns.

Mosimane said he needed to give playing opportunities to some of his players who are not playing regularly.

“We played well [in] the second half, you have to make the changes, you have got to give Aubrey Ngoma a chance, you have to give Andile Jali a chance, you have to give Oupa Manyisa a chance, you have to give them a chance to play and that’s what we did,” said Mosimane.

“And Chiefs were better than us in the first half, in the midfield we didn’t press the ball. But you have to understand the midfield that is playing now is not really the midfield that is always playing when we apply a lot of pressure and press the ball. That’s what happened and they got the goals, the goals were good and legitimate. They were right goals, that’s what happened in the first half.”

Sundowns' familiar faces like Sirino, Meza, Tebogo Langerman and captain Hlompho Kekana were introduced in the second half leading to an improved performance that was however not enough to stage a successful comeback.