Sekhukhune United coach MacDonald Makhubedu has insinuated complacency was their major undoing when they lost 2-0 to Kaizer Chiefs in a game where they put in a rather lacklustre performance at FNB Stadium on Sunday.

Going into the game, Sekhukhune were favourites to win because of their inspiring form of late. Chiefs’ Covid-19 crisis made it difficult to tip them to perform the way they did, especially with some of their key players still in isolation. However, goals from Nkosingiphile Ngcobo and Phathutshedzo Nange made it possible for them to sink Babina Noko.

“I think we could have done better, especially given the fact that Chiefs may have had two weeks off [because of the Covid-19 outbreak at their Naturena base]. I can say, maybe we thought we have arrived. This is not acceptable,’’ said Makhubedu.

“We played back-to-back games but when you looked at our energy levels they were the same as Chiefs. Even the body language of the players wasn’t right. We’re a team that works hard as a collective but today we were simply poor.”

The Sekhukhune trainer also highlighted Ngcobo’s brilliance on the day, admitting he negated their anchorman Willard Katsande and made it hard for them to play their normal game.

“The difference was also that Chiefs were more hungry than us. The young boy [Ngcobo], playing between the lines, made it difficult for our No.6 Willard to track back and assist in defending,’’ said Makhubedu.

Makhubedu wants his team to be consistent going forward, feeling the experience of being among the teams up in the table (they're sixth on the log) was also frightening some of his boys as it's new to them.

“We win three games and we lose the fourth one. Sometimes we win two and lose the third one. Some of our players are not yet used to be on top. You can see with even consistency in our games,’’ noted Makhubedu.