Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Manqoba Mngqithi acknowledged that his team lacked sharpness in front of goal as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Stellenbosch FC in the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final.
A Lehlohonolo Mojela goal on 49 minutes sealed a 2-0 aggregate victory for Stellenbosch, who will now face Orlando Pirates in the final after defeating Cape Town City 3-1 on aggregate.
Mngqithi expressed his disappointment with the result, stating that despite improved play from the first leg, Sundowns were outmatched by a more determined Stellenbosch side.
He told SuperSport: “I think the performance was better today but we were not clinical enough and ended up not finding shots on target even in moments where we were already in the last line and Aubrey Modiba was a bit unlucky on two occasions.
“We were stronger in the second half but even there, we didn’t create clear-cut chances. Credit must be given to them and I think they played very well. They were a bit hungrier than us.”
Mngqithi added:
Their low block helped them. I think our defence was much better today.
“I don’t think we were incisive enough in our decision-making. We didn’t give much in our final third but I still believe the performance was better than the first leg.”
Stellies will now compete in their second cup final in two seasons, after victory in the 2023 Carling Knockout Cup.