Dladla says Golden Arrows could have added to MTN8 lead

Golden Arrows coach Pitso Dladla says his side could have scored one or two more goals after taking a 1-0 advantage over Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final.

Abafana Besthende secured a notable victory at the home of the four-time champions on Sunday afternoon, with Sede Dion scoring the only goal midway through the first half.

The result gives Golden Arrows a narrow lead to protect in next weekend’s second leg. It also leaves them with an away goal, adding to the significance of a win against a Mamelodi Sundowns side that holds the record for the most MTN8 titles.

Golden Arrows reached the last four after eliminating Kaizer Chiefs, the tournament’s record holders, and produced another disciplined performance to frustrate the reigning strength of Mamelodi Sundowns.

Dladla credited his players’ commitment and collective approach, particularly during the periods when they were forced to defend under pressure.

“Ja, because of the players, the attitude of the players was very good, we were prepared to work together as a group during times where they should suffer, they suffer together. But look one can’t really divulge we’re playing Mamelodi Sundowns football club three weekends in a row. But credit goes to the players,” Dladla told SuperSport TV.

The coach said Golden Arrows had prepared specifically to exploit transitions, although he admitted that his team could have executed some of those attacking moments more effectively.

The visitors had opportunities to extend their lead when they won the ball and moved forward quickly, but Dladla believes there is still room for improvement in deciding when to attack directly and when to retain possession.

“We planned for those transitions, but I believe we could’ve done better we still going to work on them, and another thing is we should be clear whether it’s a transition or we should possess the possession more. But I think we did that well.

“I believe we could’ve gotten another goal or two from those transitions, but we will work on them properly,” Dladla explained.

Golden Arrows remain the only team in the league yet to concede in all competitions, a record that underlines their defensive consistency this season.

However, their clean sheet at Mamelodi Sundowns was not achieved without difficulty. There were moments when Masandawana threatened to break through, with Golden Arrows forced to defend deeply for extended periods.

Dladla acknowledged that the defensive approach was not the team’s preferred plan, but praised his players for showing the resilience needed to see out the result.

“Yes, the concentration is high from our players, we simulate our situations that put our defence under pressure so that when we got to the game it’s not something new and we should also be honest that we defended too deep.

“We did not like that, but there were times it looked scary but we survived. The heart, the heart from the players,” Dladla said.