Tinkler tells SuperSport to play without fear
Eric Tinkler has told his SuperSport United side not to stress themselves out about off-the-field antics when Matsatsantsa confront Club Africain on Sunday in Tunisia in the second leg of their Caf Confederation Cup semi-final.
SuperSport United coach Eric Tinkler (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
The capital city-based side, who are fresh from lifting the MTN8 title, will look to muster a way into what will be their maiden Confederation Cup final after a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Tshwane at the beginning of the month.
“You know the hotels there are not going to be great, we know the fans are going to be hostile, the lasers are going to be on the faces of the players, there’ll be firecrackers as well,” Tinkler warned his side.
“If you focus on that then you are focusing on the wrong things. The important thing is that you’ve got a job to do, that’s what matters, what happens around you means nothing when you go there with a positive mindset. That is the important message one tries to relay onto the players.
“While you are a player, believe it or not, on the field of play, you don’t recognise the lasers, you don’t hear the chants of the fans, you don’t see the firecrackers, you are just focused on the job. I think the media will make it a big thing, and go on about the hostile environment and whatever. When you are on the field you don’t feel it.”
The former Orlando Pirates mentor somewhat regrets failing to make the most of home ground advantage in the first leg.
“I still felt that at home we should have done a lot more. We tended to play with fear, with a bit of ‘we don’t want to concede’ and it is about understanding that when you are playing at home you need to dictate the proceedings. You need to play to your full potential and as a team that is our strength, we are very good at scoring goals and we have shown it home and away (in this competition).”
SuperSport do have a particularly good away record in this competition, which has to give them extra hope heading into this game.
Matsatsantsa have not lost an away game since the group stages began, and reached this semifinal after a 0-0 home draw against Zesco United was followed by a 2-2 draw away that put them through on the away goals rule.
