Posted in News, Team News on Jun 21, 2021.
Amakhosi striker Samir Nurković hailed “the great team effort” that saw the team take an important 1-0 lead into this weekend’s CAF Champions League semi-final second leg against Wydad Athletic Club.
The Serbian striker entered the history books when his first-half winner was given via the Video Assistant Referee after initially being ruled out for offside.
The 34th minute strike gave Chiefs a morale-boosting away win in the semi-final first leg encounter on the road in Casablanca.
The striker is not getting carried away with the result and is hopeful Chiefs can put up another gritty performance in the second leg on Saturday at home at the FNB Stadium.
“It was a great team effort and I was very happy to have contributed to the victory. But we can’t be celebrating, it’s just halftime. On Saturday we are playing them at home and we have to win that game as well. We have to continue with the same spirit,” said Nurković.
He hailed the use of the VAR technology, which led to him becoming the first Chiefs player to score a goal with the aid of the system.
“There is going to be less cheating. If it was not important, then none of the biggest leagues in the world would be using it,” said Nurković.
With Chiefs now heading home with a vital away win Nurković is confident the Amakhosi technical team will come up with the right game plan for the crucial return leg against Wydad.
“It’s a really good result away from home in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, so we have to be happy,. It was a good effort by everyone in the team,” said Nurković, who has now scored three goals in his last three appearances in the CAF Champions League.
He will be hoping to add to that tally when Chiefs host Wydad at the FNB Stadium on Saturday in the second leg, looking to see out their advantage and progress to a first-ever CAF Champions League final.