Cape Town – Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic has claimed that his side deserved to beat SuperSport United in their MTN8 clash on Saturday, which they lost on penalties.
Pirates took an early lead through Augustine Mulenga only to have it cancelled out by Dean Furman before Evans Rusike fired Matsatsantsa ahead in the 48th minute.
Gladwin Shitolo equalised in the 60th minute and Pirates looked set for victory when Thamsanqa Gabuza was awarded a penalty in extra-time. However, Ronwen Williams saved Mulenga's spot-kick.
Williams proved decisive once again when the game went to a penalty shootout, helping SuperSport secure a 4-3 victory.
"First of all, we started the game very well. Scored that goal and then in a short period of time, we conceded. We came back strongly, played much better. Had that chance to win it in regulation time with a penalty, it did not happen," Sredojevic told SuperSport after the game.
"Usually teams that miss chances like that one is mentally down. It looked we were going to penalties. We missed those penalties, opponents scored and they won. Penalties is a lottery. Football has once more shown to us, something that is the truth, football is not what you deserve but what you get.
"If it is about deserving, I believe with all the domination we had we were supposed to win today's game but we didn't. We need to accept this, pick up the pieces and go back to the drawing board and continue working.
"It's unacceptable to concede goals the way we did from the areas we're supposed to protect. Practically both goals came from the same area where we shouldn't have conceded such goals.
"We need to improve effectiveness in front of goals. It's good to play in front of a reinforced defence to learn how to play against teams that are reinforcing defences to create more chances and entrances in attack and how to utilise what brings what you need to win — which is to score goals."
