Head coach Arthur Zwane on Saturday insisted that Kaizer Chiefs players were not celebrating being drawn against Orlando Pirates in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup, after being knocked out of the competition by Buccaneers on Saturday.
Amakhosi's five-match-winning run in the Soweto derby came to an end as the Buccaneers walked away victorious with a 2-1 win over Zwane's side in the Nedbank Cup semi-final played at FNB Stadium.
READ | 'I was angry' - Mako reveals Chiefs' premature celebrations gave Pirates added motivation
Goals came from a Kermit Erasmus opener and an extra-time winner from Sandile Mthethwa after Chiefs' Yusuf Maart had levelled the score in the second half.
Erasmus also controversially celebrated his goal by performing a shushing motion that could point to him reacting to Chiefs' initial celebrations.
The victory was even sweeter for Pirates' players, some of whom had admitted to being angered by viral footage of Amakhosi players and the technical team celebrating being drawn against Pirates for the semi-finals that circulated in April.
Speaking to journalists after the match, Zwane cleared the air over the apparent celebrations.
"Look the celebration wasn't about us taking Pirates for granted, it was more like, even if it was another team we were still going to celebrate," Zwane said.
"But for us to be honest, it was not a celebration, it was: 'Okay, bring it on'. Obviously [the Soweto derby] is one of the big games in the South African football calendar and if you play against your direct rivals then you always want to get the best out of the players.
"Unfortunately we ended up on the losing side but I'm still proud of the guys' effort they gave today and the commitment. It wasn't to be and we move on, we learn from this one and we'll try to rectify our mistakes going forward and give our best all the time."
?? #SowetoDerby Triumph Secures @orlandopirates #NedbankCup Final Berth?? Read the Match Review ???? https://t.co/TyRpDTM48r?????#SowetoDerby #Matchday#NedbankCup #OrlandoPirates#OnceAlways pic.twitter.com/j3ZfS4WQHl
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) May 6, 2023
The loss means Chiefs' trophy ambitions are over for the season, with a second or third-place league finish all that's left to play for.
Amakhosi meet SuperSport United on Saturday at TUT Stadium for their penultimate match in the DStv Premiership.
Kick-off is at 15:00
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