Tinkler Slams Wasteful City Despite CAF Confed Cup Victory
Durban City coach Eric Tinkler criticized his side for being wasteful in front of goal and conceding a soft home effort during their 3-1 win over Mauritian outfit AS Port Louis 2000 in the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round first leg on Sunday.
Durban City missed numerous opportunities to put the tie beyond reach at Moses Mabhida Stadium. While they hold a two-goal advantage heading into the return leg, Tinkler expressed clear disappointment at failing to keep a clean sheet.
AS Port Louis need a 2-0 victory at home on Sunday to eliminate Durban City on away goals and advance to the group stages of Africa’s secondary club competition.
Tinkler, who previously guided both Orlando Pirates and SuperSport United to the CAF Confederation Cup final, insisted his side should have wrapped up the tie in Durban.
“As much as I’m happy with the win, I’m not entirely happy with the result,” Tinkler said after the match.
“We definitely would have preferred a clean sheet. We were wasteful, especially in the first half. In the second half, yes, we got the second goal, but then complacency set in. That complacency cannot be allowed in this competition, especially against teams that, realistically, are not competing at our level in my view.
“I’m not entirely happy with the performance, and that will be addressed with the players this week.”
How Did the Goals Fold at Moses Mabhida Stadium?
Haashim Domingo gave Durban City the lead in the first half before Gaston Sirino doubled the advantage 46 seconds after the restart. Substitute Tashreeq Morris then converted a late penalty in stoppage time to seal the 3-1 result.
However, AS Port Louis pulled a crucial goal back in the 57th minute when Durban City goalkeeper Frederick Asare spilled a cross in the box, allowing Louis Yowan to tap in a vital away goal.
What Did Eric Tinkler Say About Jean Lubamba’s Missed Chance?
Congolese forward Jean Lubamba experienced a turbulent afternoon. After contributing to City’s opening two goals, he squandered a golden chance from close range to extend the lead.
Lubamba holds a special place in the club’s history after scoring the winning goal in last season’s Nedbank Cup final to earn Durban City their maiden trophy.
However, Tinkler noted that Lubamba’s technical flaws were exposed when he missed an open target in the second half.
“I think that he missed, too. In that way, it’s the same,” Tinkler said.
“He made a run towards the near post. He is naturally left-footed, but he ran past the post and still tried to finish with his left foot. He has a right foot, because the angle is almost impossible for him to use his left foot.
“But those are the things he still needs to learn. It’s about the timing of his run. If he wants to use his left foot, he can’t run past the front post. He has to time his run perfectly so that he can use his left foot.”
Durban City will depart for Mauritius on Friday for the second leg, where they aim to make further club history by reaching the CAF Confederation Cup group stages in their debut campaign.
