Asante Kotoko head coach Karim Zito has praised the style of play of Kaizer Chiefs and stated their Toyota Cup triumph had an element of luck.
Kotoko looked to play with a lower defensive line and create opportunities against Chiefs on transitions at Moses Mabhida, with Zito cognisant of their lack of fitness at the stage of pre-season.
“When it comes to winning, at the end of the day, I’m satisfied with my boys – but tactically, I’m also satisfied, because I know this process, with the new players, I didn’t get what I wanted, but at least certain responsibilities [they got right],” he told SABC Sport.
“I was looking at it, for them to do it and at the end of the day I knew we’d win by one or it goes to a draw, we didn’t attack too much but defensively we were ready. I don’t have to match them, they were ahead in terms of preparation [in pre-season] in terms of cohesion, they are ahead of us.
“We didn’t train for three days, so we knew we’d get tired, so we sat back – that’s what makes you a good coach, you read the opponent and try to come up with a strategy that will suit your team.”
The former Dreams FC and Ghana U20 national team coach went on to laud Amakhosi for their brand of football and suggested South Africa in general, have been modernised in their approach to the game.
“I have to be honest, seriously, South Africans play like Europeans, not like the other countries [in Africa], they don’t chase you, they let you chase them. I know it, because I have studied this when I went to Europe, I’m in development, professionally,” he said.
“So Chiefs didn’t play badly, but the luck was on our side… at the end of the day, the element of luck wasn’t there for them, we were lucky to win. But everyone wants to be lucky – I’m very happy, because tactically we worked on our plan and it worked.”
