Tinkler Explains Why Chiefs Stalemate Feels Like A Loss
Sekhukhune United coach Eric Tinkler has explained why he believes drawing against Kaizer Chiefs in their crucial Betway Premiership encounter at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday is like a loss for his side.
The two sides settled for a share of the spoils in the North as Ngoanello Rammalla broke the deadlock to give the home team an early lead four minutes from the first whistle before Glody Makabi Lilepo leveled matters on the brink of half time.
As a result, Babina Noko dropped out of the CAF Inter-club spots into fourth place as they were dislodged by Stellenbosch FC, who claimed a 2-1 victory over SuperSport United on the same day to move up to third place.
Tinkler’s charges trail Stellies by a single point with one game to go. The Limpopo outfit has picked up 46 points, while the Cape Winelands side amassed 47 points, ahead of the Cape derby against relegation-threatened Cape Town City in their final match.
While his troops risk missing out on a CAF Confederations Cup spot, the 54-year-old tactician says he is proud and content with the progress the team has made since he took over from Lehlohonolo Seema in March.
“Definitely [happy with the progress], I think I said to the players before this [Chiefs] game that last seven matches you’ve collected 14 points, you did that throughout the season, and you showed consistency in your results. You are fighting for a top-three position,” said Tinkler.
However, the former Citizens mentor made an honest admission that he would have preferred to claim maximum points over Chiefs, stating that the draw felt like a loss on their end as it dented their chances of going back to continental football as things stand.
“Obviously, what we have achieved so far was very good, but I would have preferred three points today [Saturday] because, like I said, we want to try and finish third and today was more like we lost two points,” he added.
The Babina Noko boss went on to confidently state that failure to qualify for the Confederations Cup won’t have any bearing on his future at the club.
“No, I don’t think that’s the case, I think it’s too early for that,” Tinkler asserted.
Sekhukhune will wrap up their season away to Golden Arrows at the Mpumalanga Stadium. The two teams will be desperate for crucial three points, with 13th-placed Abafana Bes’thende looking to avoid the promotional/relegation playoffs.
