Makeni All Stars first assistant coach, Kape Saili, has blamed missed scoring opportunities and defensive lapses for the team’s heavy 6-1 defeat to Trident FC in the transitional MTN Super League.

The Lusaka-based side suffered the loss on Saturday in Kalumbila in a Week Five Stream A encounter, extending their difficult start to life in the top flight following promotion.

Makeni are still searching for their first victory of the season, with Saili admitting that the latest defeat was painful, particularly after the team’s preparations during the week.

Speaking after the match, Saili said Makeni had enjoyed considerable possession and created chances but lacked the clinical finishing needed to turn their opportunities into goals.

“I’m not going to say I’m shocked, but it’s really a painful loss, especially looking at the fact that we’ve put in so much in training this past week,” Saili said.

“I’d say we had most of the possession during the match, but we just couldn’t get past the net. We created a lot of chances, but I think the boys were not really clinical in terms of how they were functioning in the final third.”

Coach Criticizes Defenders

The coach also criticized the team’s defensive performance, pointing to errors that allowed Trident to take control of the contest and score six goals.

“And also, I’d say we had a lot of defensive lapses. There were a lot of defensive errors,” she said.

Saili said the defeat had underlined the need for the team to approach every fixture with greater seriousness as they seek to improve their results.

She expressed concern about Makeni’s record after five matches, saying the team needed to become more productive in attack while tightening up at the back.

“The biggest lesson we need to learn is that we need to take every game with the seriousness that it deserves,” Saili said.

Despite the disappointing results, Saili insisted that the team would eventually find its footing and urged supporters not to lose faith in the newly promoted side.

She said Makeni’s status as newcomers to the Super League should not become an excuse for underperforming, adding that the campaign still offered time to turn their fortunes around.

“We are first-timers in the Super League, but that doesn’t mean that we have to be the underdogs. I know and appreciate that the boys will pick up eventually,” she said.