Orlando Pirates defender Thapelo Xoki says their defeat to Sekhukhune United was mainly caused by their failure to adjust to the windy conditions.
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Jose Riveiro’s charges entered the game high on confidence following their impressive performance against Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg last Saturday.
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But they conceded two late goals to suffer a shock 2-0 defeat to the lowly Limpopo outfit.
Early in the second half, Orlando Pirates went down to 10 men following the second booking of Thabiso Monyane who was sent off.
Speaking to PiratesTV after the match, Xoki said despite being one man short they still gave their maximum effort.
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‘WE STRUGGLED TO DEAL WITH THE WIND’ – XOKI
“It’s a tough one to take,” said Xoki who has made six appearances since joining the Soweto giants at the beginning of the season.
“We didn’t play our best game, the conditions played a part, we struggled to deal with the wind, we couldn’t cope in terms of trying to adjust to the wind.
“But we gave it our all, we fought even with ten men we still kept the ball, we still kept pushing forward.
“Unfortunately, they gave us a sucker punch in the 82nd minute but it’s done now and dusted, we have to focus on the next game which is Saturday.”
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Ezimnyama Ngenkani will look to bounce back when they host Richards Bay FC on Saturday, 8 October at the Orlando Stadium.
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