Pitso Mosimane’s “crazy” switch of Keagan Dolly to left-back at the end of their first leg in Ndola led to Khama Billiat’s goal that kept kept Mamelodi Sundowns in their Caf Champions League semifinal tie against Zesco United.
Sundowns meet Zesco in Saturday night’s second leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium (7pm) with perhaps the slight advantage thanks to Billiat’s 87th-minute goal in the first leg in Zambia last Saturday.
That goal‚ fighting back from Jackson Mwanza’s lightning 54th and 56th minute strikes for Zesco‚ came after Mosimane had audaciously brought on Anthony Laffor late for struggling left-back Tebogo Langerman.
The Downs coach switched star midfielder Keagan Dolly to left-back. Dolly‚ lurking deep on a Zesco attack‚ won the ball‚ beat a defender‚ then released Laffor down the right‚ who crossed for Billiat to score.
“When I entered the PSL I was 33 or 34 – I was the youngest coach. But you get wiser‚ you do what you have to do differently. And I’ve seen so many things‚” Mosimane said‚ commenting on the boldness of his late positional switch.
“So if I have to make a tactical change and Langerman must go out‚ and Dolly must play left-back‚ you look at it and think: ‘It’s crazy – what is he doing?’
“But I needed a goal. Keagan was not getting into box. So I needed to put Percy Tau‚ Billiat and Laffor forward‚ and try to get anything.
“And what was the shape? I don’t know what the shape was. Sometimes coaches like to sound intelligent‚ but it’s not like that.
“I told ‘Shuga’ [midfielder Tiyani Mabunda] to stay back and help [centrebacks] Thabo Nthethe and Wayne Arendse.
“And it’s ‘wafa wafa’ [kill kill] – maybe we can get a goal. Let’s try. Then Keagan was marking Jesse Were and nothing happened [from Were]‚ and we scored.
“That’s football. You never know. No-one must tell you they are the master of this or what. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and sometimes it does. But you must trust your gut feeling.
“You must also not go crazy. You’ve got to see what’s happening on the pitch‚ and then you come up with that decision.”
Sundowns will not want to find themselves in quite so desperate a position in the second leg.
The 2-1 lead means Downs – who have scored regularly at home in the Champions League – can win with a 1-0 scoreline on the away goals rule.
They will need a far more convincing performance at the back than the disjointed afternoon out their back four had in Ndola.
Zesco coach George Lwandimana has winger Clatous Chama back from suspension. That gives his side some quite awesome attacking firepower.
Mwanza’s brace in the first leg took the striker to four goals‚ the same as Chama and dangerous Kenyan striker Were‚ who gave Langerman and Downs’ left side of defence a torrid afternoon in Ndola.
With Democratic Republic of Congo striker Idris Mbombo on five goals‚ Zesco have four of this year’s Champions League’s top nine scorers.
TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Mosimane's ‘crazy option’ to switch Keagan Dolly to left-back in Ndola kept Sundowns in their semifinal against Zesco
Pitso Mosimane’s “crazy” switch of Keagan Dolly to left-back at the end of their first leg in Ndola led to Khama Billiat’s goal that kept kept Mamelodi Sundowns in their Caf Champions League semifinal tie against Zesco United.
Sundowns meet Zesco in Saturday night’s second leg at Lucas Moripe Stadium (7pm) with perhaps the slight advantage thanks to Billiat’s 87th-minute goal in the first leg in Zambia last Saturday.
That goal‚ fighting back from Jackson Mwanza’s lightning 54th and 56th minute strikes for Zesco‚ came after Mosimane had audaciously brought on Anthony Laffor late for struggling left-back Tebogo Langerman.
The Downs coach switched star midfielder Keagan Dolly to left-back. Dolly‚ lurking deep on a Zesco attack‚ won the ball‚ beat a defender‚ then released Laffor down the right‚ who crossed for Billiat to score.
“When I entered the PSL I was 33 or 34 – I was the youngest coach. But you get wiser‚ you do what you have to do differently. And I’ve seen so many things‚” Mosimane said‚ commenting on the boldness of his late positional switch.
“So if I have to make a tactical change and Langerman must go out‚ and Dolly must play left-back‚ you look at it and think: ‘It’s crazy – what is he doing?’
“But I needed a goal. Keagan was not getting into box. So I needed to put Percy Tau‚ Billiat and Laffor forward‚ and try to get anything.
“And what was the shape? I don’t know what the shape was. Sometimes coaches like to sound intelligent‚ but it’s not like that.
“I told ‘Shuga’ [midfielder Tiyani Mabunda] to stay back and help [centrebacks] Thabo Nthethe and Wayne Arendse.
“And it’s ‘wafa wafa’ [kill kill] – maybe we can get a goal. Let’s try. Then Keagan was marking Jesse Were and nothing happened [from Were]‚ and we scored.
“That’s football. You never know. No-one must tell you they are the master of this or what. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and sometimes it does. But you must trust your gut feeling.
“You must also not go crazy. You’ve got to see what’s happening on the pitch‚ and then you come up with that decision.”
Sundowns will not want to find themselves in quite so desperate a position in the second leg.
The 2-1 lead means Downs – who have scored regularly at home in the Champions League – can win with a 1-0 scoreline on the away goals rule.
They will need a far more convincing performance at the back than the disjointed afternoon out their back four had in Ndola.
Zesco coach George Lwandimana has winger Clatous Chama back from suspension. That gives his side some quite awesome attacking firepower.
Mwanza’s brace in the first leg took the striker to four goals‚ the same as Chama and dangerous Kenyan striker Were‚ who gave Langerman and Downs’ left side of defence a torrid afternoon in Ndola.
With Democratic Republic of Congo striker Idris Mbombo on five goals‚ Zesco have four of this year’s Champions League’s top nine scorers.
TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos