Maritzburg United head coach Fadlu Davids had nothing but praise for his players after their Nedbank Cup elimination at the hands of Kaizer Chiefs.
Maritzburg were down to ten men late in the first stanza after Travis Graham got a second booking for a late challenge on Mduduzi Shabalala
The Team of Choice managed to hold Chiefs in regulation time but eventually cracked in extra-time after Christian Saile Basomboli and Ashley Du Preez scored for Amakhosi.
Read | Chiefs book Nedbank Cup Last 16 berth
"We lost the battle today but the war is something this will prepare us for and the war is the league, I'm so proud of my players today, against all odds, pushing, working together as a team," Davids told SuperSport TV.
"This unity, this tactical discipline we'll help us for the rest of the season. We spoke in length this week about game-management, about sticking together as a unit with a ball and without a ball and today they passed the test.
"Really proud, although this loss hurts but lessons like this will definitely prepare us for the rest of the season."
Davids hailed Maritzburg's discipline and says he got everything he wanted out of his players in terms of their structure when they don't have the ball.
"And that's what it was, we had to work for that man that was short, to be able to keep the spaces closed, waiting for our moment, being patient. I can't fault any player, they worked as a unit and worked as team. Like I said the lessons we learned today will really help us grow as a team," he continued.
"Not the start we wanted, definitely in relation to in possession, not passing the ball quick enough, not moving, not creating the spaces we wanted to use in possession.
"But okay my main topic this week was to create this team unity, to create this game management structure I'm talking about without the ball like we conceded last week and that's what I got today, I got everything I wanted, without the ball, team unity, game-management, unity and I can't ask for more."
Maritzburg will face another tough challenge against Orlando Pirates exactly a week later and the former Pirates coach says they will put up a brave fight against another Soweto giant.
"Preparation for the next game, we play Orlando Pirates next week, our players have to believe, they have to believe that they are a good team, they have to believe that in any moment, any opponent we go for the win," he added.
"Be brave, be confident, ask yourselves individually and collectively how strong you really are. If the players start believing in the process and start believing how good they really are, any team we'll face head on, brave, with our chest out and go for the win."
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