Kaizer Chiefs co-head coach Cedric Kaze has called on his players to bounce back from their 3-0 Betway Premiership defeat to Orlando Pirates on Saturday.
Tshepang Moremi opened the scoring at the FNB Stadium after just four minutes. Oswin Appollis added a second on the 38-minute mark, and Evidence Makgopa sealed the result with his goal after 77 minutes.
The result saw the Buccaneers move back to the top of the league standings with 41 points from 18 games, three clear of Mamelodi Sundowns, but from a game more, leaving Amakhosi in fourth place with 30 points from 17 games.
Speaking after the game, Kaze admitted his team played with fear, ending the afternoon 11 points adrift of Pirates.
He said in the Citizen: “I think in the first half we were not good at all. We played with fear; we were not pressing or defending every 50-50 ball.
“In the first 15 minutes of the second half, we were better in our pressing game and in trying to find solutions.”
Kaze also hit out at the Bucs’ players for diving during the game, adding: “I congratulate Pirates for the three points and for their tricks, falling down all the time.
“Their keeper fell down five times and didn’t get substituted. It is experience.”
Looking ahead to their Premiership clash with Richards Bay on Tuesday, Kaze said: “The only way to bounce back is to work. We talked to the players and told them that now we have a debt to the fans.
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“The way to redeem ourselves is to pick up points and show that what happened in the derby was an accident and should not have happened.
“The only way is to keep our heads up and go to the next games and pick up as many points as we can.”