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Ezenkosi on the ropes

IN FLIGHT: Daine Klate of Pirates and Elhadji Samb of Cosmos fight for the ball at Orlando Stadium. Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
IN FLIGHT: Daine Klate of Pirates and Elhadji Samb of Cosmos fight for the ball at Orlando Stadium. Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

JOMO Sono might field a second-string squad for Jomo Cosmos's Nedbank Cup quarterfinal clash against SuperSport United at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.

Despite reaching the quarterfinals of the competition, the Ezenkosi boss said the cup was "not a priority" for his relegation-threatened side.

Cosmos are bottom of the Absa Premiership table with 16 points from 23 matches, and Sono said this weekend's clash would be a distraction if he took it seriously.

"To be honest we might even field a second-string team in the Nedbank because that is not our priority.

"We need to keep our status in the Premier League and get our injured players like Mark Haskins fit so we can compete in the league," he said.

Sono, whose team suffered their 11th defeat of the season when they were beaten 2-1 by defending champions Orlando Pirates on Monday night, said he was hoping three key players would return soon to push the side to Premier League survival.

"And we won't risk them in a cup game if they are back. For us it is important to keep fighting for our status in the league. We are playing good football, but we just don't score. And that is how you win games (by scoring)," Sono said.

Cosmos threw away the points in the late stages of the game against Pirates, as they did against Ajax Cape Town, who beat them 2-1 at Sinaba Stadium last week.

But Sono was defiant about his team's chances of survival: "People say we are gone already, I don't think so. The teams we are battling with still have to play against us.

"And I don't think those teams would like to face us seeing the way we are playing."

"I only feel for my players. They are the ones dying out there.

"I have taken so many knocks in my life as a footballer that there is no longer a place for me to take more knocks," said Sono.

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