A frustrated Benni McCarthy has reacted to his side’s 1-0 loss to Nyasa Big Bullets in the club’s first-ever CAF Champions League clash.
AmaZulu dominated proceedings, but couldn’t find the target, and then conceded against the run of play in the first half, losing 1-0 to the Malawian side, who were reduced to ten men just before half-time.
McCarthy was far from happy with his team, and lamented the lack of desire and responsibility shown in attack.
“Not a great start to our CAF adventure,” McCarthy said after the game.
As much as it looked like we dominated the game, we were nowhere close to our best. I think when you play the way you do, and you don’t have desire to score goals, there’s not really much of a chance you give yourself.
“You look at the opposition, they did absolutely nothing in the game. They played to their strength. They played for free kicks, and then put the ball in the box, use their physicality, get in and then ja, they get they get away with one.
“I think maybe it could have been a foul on Veli, because I think he had the ball firmly, and they get their goal, a breakaway goal.
“And ja, and then we didn’t end up doing enough to win the game, so I can’t really sum the game up because it was difficult to watch, and difficult to accept what was happening out there.
“You create the chances we did and we fail to score. So, I think, if ever you get the chance to speak to the players that was on the pitch, maybe they can give you a better indication of what they think what happened there, but I just think it was a horror show for me to watch, especially a lack of desire. that we showed out there.
When you get the chances and, you play in that manner, and then you go 10 v 11 in, and still nothing. So ja, I think the players have to have a hard look at themselves. For me, I think this was a disasterous game.
“So now we have to go to the jungle. We have to go to a very difficult place to go and repeat and go and overturn losing at home, and then looking to go and win away from home in Africa, which not many teams have done, but now we are asking that of ourselves.
“So ja we just prepare for that now, for SuperSport, our next league game, and then to go back to the face the Malawians. We know know what they about. And that’s really it.”
Usuthu will now face SuperSport United in the DStv Premiership on Tuesday before facing Nyasa in Malawi on 18 September.
