Sekhukhune's Tinkler unmoved after first defeat of the season

Eric Tinkler may have been disappointed at finally losing a league match this season.

“I am disappointed, obviously, that we dropped the three points; disappointed in how we conceded the goal because we discussed it ahead of the game,” he said.

But the Sekhukhune United coach is not about to be dissuaded from what he has been building. Not when his team have been ticking all the right boxes since the start of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership campaign.

The weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Polokwane City was merely an aberration — a small bump on an otherwise promising route that could yet see Tinkler and Ba Bina Noko challenging for the championship.

They may have been deposed from the top of the table for now, but Mamelodi Sundowns are only one point ahead — and have played a match more. A win for Sekhukhune would take them back to the summit, two points clear of the title holders.

All it will take, Tinkler believes, is greater precision in the final third.

“An area of concern is that, when playing against teams that crowd their box, we are not finding solutions to break them down. We need to work on this in training,” he explained.

“We want to keep winning. I don’t think the better team won this evening,” Tinkler added, describing City as “a team that does not play pretty football”.

“They look to play it long — no build-up, no creation phase, no final phase — just a ball into the box. If you don’t win the second balls against them, you are going to struggle. That’s how they got the goal, with their only opportunity in 90 minutes.

“Like in the Chippa United game, we struggled in the final third, struggled to find solutions. We needed more creativity and lacked the finer detail, so we clearly need to become better in our finishing.”

Besides fine-tuning their finishing, Sekhukhune are determined to stay true to their identity.

“What becomes very important is that we don’t change the way we play. We need to continue doing what we’ve been doing,” Tinkler insisted.

Up next is the Carling Knockout, where Ba Bina Noko face Golden Arrows, and Tinkler is targeting a deep run.

“We want to go as far as we possibly can. I want to win football matches. I don’t choose which to lose or which to win. I don’t go into matches thinking a draw will be fine.

“I don’t say I don’t want to lose to Sundowns or that a draw with Sundowns will be better. I want to win every match.