AFTER a disappointing finish in the Absa Premiership, Orlando Pirates head coach Kjell Jonevret has shifted his focus to the Nedbank Cup final – but not before giving his players a tongue-lashing.
The Swede was furious following their 2-1 loss to Golden Arrows in their final match played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at the weekend.
An angry Jonevret said the only way to salvage the club’s pride after their poor season was to win the Ke Yona cup. Bucs face SuperSport United in the final, also at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, on 24 June.
Said Jonevret: “There’s no other way, we need to apologise to the fans for the disappointing season we had. The only way to do so is by winning the Nedbank Cup final, it’s as simple as that.”
Bucs had one of their worst seasons in decades. They failed to qualify for the top eight for the first time and finished a lowly 11th with 33 points.
The 54-year-old couldn’t hide his frustration and disappointment after his charges lost their last league match of the season on Saturday. What frustrated Jonevret the most is that his boys got the first goal, only to lose 2-1.
He said: “I’m both angry and disappointed. After scoring first and taking that lead into the break, I told my players at half-time to put more pressure on Arrows. I told them to play high balls to (Thamsanqa) Gabuza and (Tendai) Ndoro. But what they did was the absolute opposite, allowing them to come at us.
“I thought we had an understanding – we’ve been solid in defence in a couple of matches. I’m really angry at the way we played today.
“My disappointment has nothing to do with our league standing. I’m disappointed because I really wanted to win this last match. I wanted to beat Arrows twice in a row – and it’s not like they were better than us. We gave them this win and I hate it.”
He said he now had to work on the players ahead of the cup final but would give them a few days off first.
“I have requested two tough opponents to prepare for the Nedbank Cup final. I hope we get these friendly matches because I want us to be better prepared for the final. This cup is not important to me, this is for the team and supporters,” said Jonevret.
