Middendorp accepts TKO knockout by Maritzburg

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp says he can have no qualms with his side’s 2-1 Telkom Knockout semifinal loss to Maritzburg United at the Mbombela Stadium on Sunday.

Chiefs were well-beaten by the KwaZulu-Natal side, who should have won by a greater margin, but in the end a brace from Judas Moseamedi proved enough.

"Congratulations to Maritzburg United, I think a deserved win, there's no doubt about it,” Middendorp admitted.

“After we conceded 1-0 in the first-half, absolutely we had challenges with our defence despite we were sometimes two against one, three against one.

"A bit surprisingly, on the other side in terms of our combination game through the midfield, it was not really a factor as it could be, should be and how we can do it.

"Then you equalise, then you give it away again, a little bit surprising with the quality we should have. It was not definitely the performance we are capable of."

Middendsorp believes his side may have had their minds on a December 14 final with Mamelodi Sundowns before the game against Maritzburg started.

"Something when you're going to the game, you're just not really ... bring your concentration to the point where it should be. You're already in this game playing Sundowns on the 14th [of December].

"We spoke about it several times, I said, ‘Please don't underestimate [Maritzburg]. Please make sure that we're first taking this game before we think about the next one’.

“That's a normal way, it's nothing unusual, it happens worldwide. I was thinking we would be able to handle it but it was the opposite and we failed here."