Former Mamelodi Sundowns star Eric Ramasike believes that the players, not their coach Manqoba Mngqithi, should take the blame for Saturday's defeat.
Sundowns entered the Carling Knockout final as overwhelming favourites but suffered an embarrassing 2-1 loss to Betway Premiership newcomers Magesi FC.
Ramasike stated that Mngqithi fielded his best players, but the team let him down with several mistakes in the second half of the match in Bloemfontein.
"It was a good game, we started off well," Ramasike told KickOff.
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"The team Manqoba fielded on the day was strong, and I had no doubts about it. We played our game and dominated the first half, even though we only managed to score one goal."
He credited the opposing goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze for performing well, making several crucial saves.
"After they scored the equalizing goal, we started to panic. We lost possession easily and resorted to playing long balls, which ultimately cost us the game. After they equalized, we failed to relax and continue our style of play as we normally do."
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Ramasike acknowledged that Clinton Larsen's game plan for Magesi worked effectively.
However, he insisted that he could not fault Mngqithi for the outcome. While he did not want to single out individual players, he expressed disappointment over their poor marking.
"Even on the second goal, they were caught ball-watching while opponents came in from behind," he remarked.
"This is something professional players are taught in training: you must be alert. When defending, you need to be aware of both the approaching player and the ball."
Ramasike concluded, "But it's football, and these things can happen to even the best players."