Orlando Pirates head coach Milutin Sredojevic believes the Telkom Knockout final would have played out very differenly if Marshall Munetsi had not been sent off.
The midfielder was sent off five minutes before half time for a clumbsy and ultimately very dangerous challenge that left the referee with little choice but to send him packing.
Within five minutes Baroka had taken advantage of the situation, grabbing the lead through Jemondre Dickens. They actually took the lead twice in the game, with Pirates pulling back both times, before Baroka went on to claim the trophy after a penalty shootout.
“It was a huge setback for us playing with a player less. However it happened and we could not influence anything in that regard.
“The only thing we could have done was to respond and the players responded very well in the field. They have worked for that minus one player. We have applied ourselves with a player less what of course it is not easy. However, each player extended and stretched himself with limits replacing the absence of Munetsi, giving the best.
“We tried our best. We got it and invested it. However it was not meant to be.
“The most important [thing] for us at half-time, we set the formation that could make up for the absence of the red-card player Munetsi.
“So, we has set ourselves in a risky formation of going with three defenders, two midfielders and four attackers practically, putting ourselves in a position that is risk behind.
“But that risk we wanted to replace with right positioning of the players in the field of play closing inside and allowing them advantage of the side, and looking forward to capitalise on defending by positioning.”
