Kaizer Chiefs striker Ranga Chivaviro has expressed his disappointment at the team’s elimination from the MTN8 semi-finals, saying the manner in which it happened still hurts. Amakhosi were knocked out by Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate, after a 2-1 loss in the second leg.
The Glamour Boys were controversially denied a penalty in added time after Mduduzi Mdantsane was kicked in the box by the Brazilians’ Thapelo Maseko. Replays and TV review shows from refereeing experts confirmed that Amakhosi should have been awarded a penalty and had they scored it, they would have advanced to the final on away goals.
Chivaviro said it still hurts them that the penalty was not awarded, as it would have given them a chance to fight for the cup in the final and give something back to the supporters. “To be honest it’s painful, it’s still painful even now but the reality is we have to move on, it’s a human error, there’s nothing we can do about it,” Chivaviro said in a press conference this week.
“If there was anything, we would go back and rectify the mistake but we cannot, so we just have to be professionals and move on but the bottom line is it’s painful, we’re hurt. Obviously, we wanted to give the supporters something back, the club as well, a chance to win a cup but unfortunately it wasn’t to be, so we move on,” he said.
The Limpopo-born striker took some time to settle after a couple of injuries in his first few seasons at the club and went on to express the pressure of playing for Chiefs compared to other teams, after he was signed from Marumo Gallants, who were relegated from the DStv Premiership last season.
“The biggest pressure of being here is that there’s no day off, you’re expected to perform, each and every chance you get to wear the jersey, not only from yourself, the teammates but also from supporters,” he continued.
“So I think that’s the difference between Kaizer Chiefs and other teams, every time you get a chance you need to perform and you’re expected to perform and when you don’t do that obviously there’s a lot of scrutiny that goes around. That’s the biggest pressure we face as players,” he added.
Amakhosi will return to league action when they host Cape Town City on Tuesday evening at FNB Stadium.
