admin“The ball is now in the players’ ourt,” Neeskens said after the bottom-of-the-table league clash in Atteridgeville.
“They have to play every game now as if it is a final and only then can we come out of this situation. I don’t expect beautiful football from them because, in this situation, you cannot expect that.”
Neeskens said the team lacked clinical touches in their opponents’ half and were lucky to come away with a point, criticising his defender for an elementary error.
“We were terrible in the final third with our passing, in our decisions that we took and also in losing the ball,” Neeskens said.
“In the second half, we kept trying but there was not much improvement and then you get a childish goal.”
AmaZulu had taken the lead, against the run of play, 13 minutes from time. A defensive blunder from Sundowns’ Clayton Daniels allowed Andile Khumalo to slot home the opener.
“It was typical ball watching from Daniels — looking at what’s going on up front and not looking around at how the (defensive) organisation is,” he said.
“If you are not sharp from the first minute, then these things happen.”
Wednesday’s clash marked two weeks since the Pretoria side had sunk to the bottom of the table, after a 3-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates.
Sundowns were now 10 matches without a PSL victory, claiming their only league triumph on the opening day of the new season against Chippa United.
The Dutch coach, however, felt optimistic his side could regain its much-needed form to lift themselves out of the last position, ahead of the new year.
“Fortunately we got the late goal and the draw but we should not be happy with this result,” Neeskens said.
“The players can do it, because they showed it four days ago (against SuperSport United in the Telkom Knockout Challenge), but today I was not happy.”
Fixtures
Tonight
Ajax Cape Town v Chippa United, Cape Town Stadium 20:00
Tomorrow
Platinum Stars v Kaizer Chiefs, Royal Bafokeng Stadium 15:30; University of Pretoria v Black Leopards, Tuks Stadium 15:30; AmaZulu v Free State Stars, Moses Mabhida Stadium 18:00; Orlando Pirates v Bidvest Wits, Orlando Stadium 18:00; Moroka Swallows v Maritzburg Utd, Volkswagen Dobsonville Stadium 20:15.
Sunday
Bloem Celtic v Mamelodi Sundowns, Free State Stadium 15:30; SuperSport United v Golden Arrows, Lucas Moripe Stadium 15:30. — Sport24
Online Reporter
derick.khumalo