Zwane unfazed by pressure ahead of derby
Chiefs coach tells fans he will get it right
Kaizer Chiefs' MTN8 elimination is sure to reawaken pressure for coach Arthur Zwane.
Funnily enough, Zwane averred that he relishes the pressure that is expected to escalate should he fail to beat high-flying Soweto foes Orlando Pirates in a league match at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3.30pm).
The Glamour Boys bombed out of the MTN8 in the semifinals after being held to a goalless draw by AmaZulu in the tie's second leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday. AmaZulu clinched the tie by virtue of the away-goal rule, having managed a 1-all draw in the reserve fixture at FNB Stadium early this month.
"Pressure is part of the game. For me, being under pressure is a privilege because you won't be under pressure when you are not in a good place ... a place that improves you as a person,'' Zwane, who put on a brave face, said after the game against AmaZulu.
As disappointed as he was, Zwane expected the fans to cut his charges some slack, highlighting Amakhosi were still far from being the finished article. Chiefs last won a trophy when they lifted the league in the 2014/15 season.
"The fans must have seen that the boys [the players] tried their level best. Yes we're all disappointed that we didn't go to the final but at the end of the day there's nothing that we can change now. We just have to focus...this is a journey. We know that things will get right as time goes on."
The Chiefs coach acknowledged failing to take their chances while they allowed Usuthu to score at FNB Stadium was always going to make things difficult for them to go to the final. AmaZulu meet Pirates in this tournament's decider at Moses Mabhida Stadium on November 5.
"The goal-scoring opportunities that we created back home in the first leg came back to haunt us. We could have come here leading at least 3-1 or even 4-1. The away goal was always going to give AmaZulu that edge as well,'' Zwane noted.