Baroka FC head coach, Wedson Nyirenda, was pleased with his side’s 1-0 victory over Nedbank Cup semi-finalists Kaizer Chiefs at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night.
Speaking to the media after the game, the Zambian mentioned his team’s brilliant performances against big teams such as Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits, while also underlining the disappointing displays against the lesser teams in the division.
When asked if this is down to players self-marketing themselves in pursuit of maybe getting moves to those ‘bigger’ teams. The former Zesco United coach wasted no time and responded: “It could be, we cannot hide that, every player when we are playing against a big team wants to show [that] they could even score with an ear,” said Nyirenda.
“If we were to play Barcelona today maybe you’d see even myself training, I’d want to play maybe my last one year although I’m 50 something. Everyone when we are playing a big team like Chiefs they want to show (how good they are). Even at training, it’s so different, you [the coach] don’t even shout, everyone is doing it on their own. Come to the game, it’s a few things (instructions) that you will be talking about, they will be doing things you didn’t even know.
“When it comes to smaller teams, it’s all about complacency. This season, like you [media] have summed it up. This is what has brought us to where we are. After winning the Telkom [Knockout], two days later, we went to Atteridgeville to face Mamelodi Sundowns. We hold them and we almost won that game. We came back home and lost to Polokwane City 2-0. How do you explain that? It’s all about complacency. That should go, the players should take each game as it comes,” said the Baroka mentor.
At this stage, Bakgaga are out of the relegation zone with 24 points. The Limpopo-based side are four points clear off bottom-placed Maritzburg United with five games to go. Nyirenda’s men seem to have a tough schedule ahead of them with Mamelodi Sundowns (A), Free State Stars (A), AmaZulu (H), Bidvest Wits (A) and Maritzburg United (H) all still to come.
Written by Banele Pikwa
