Orlando Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic has asked his players to move on from defeat at the hands of Baroka in the Telkom Knockout final as they prepare to face Free State Stars in the Absa Premiership on Tuesday evening.
Pirates travel to Globe Park to take on Ea Lla Koto just days after their heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss in the TKO.
The Buccaneers, however, are still in the hunt for the league title, while they are also still competing in the Caf Champions League and have the Nedbank Cup coming up later in the season.
With the Sea Robbers battling on all fronts and the games coming thick and fast, the Serbian tactician is looking for his team to bounce back quickly as they look to end their four-year trophy drought.
‘Life is not a bed of roses. We have slipped at this hurdle, but there are three more competitions – the Premiership, Nedbank Cup and Caf Champions League,’ Sredojevic said to the media.
‘We also lost the MTN8 on penalties to SuperSport United, now we lose on penalties again, it’s unfortunate. But it’s not about how hard you are hit, but about how strong you are to stand up and move on,’ he added.
‘We have a chance on Tuesday against Stars in the league. It is a chance that will prepare us for the Champions League on Friday against African Stars.
‘We need to pick up the pieces. Regretfully football didn’t pay us back, but I strongly believe our supporters will recognise the effort under the circumstances,’ concluded the coach.