Arrows can compete against the best, says Larsen

Cape Town - Golden Arrows coach Clinton Larsen feels his side are currently on par with the best clubs in the country despite their Telkom Knockout exit.

Abafana Bes'thende were beaten 1-0 by Orlando Pirates in the Round of 16, with Thabo Qalinge's first-half goal the difference at the Princess Magogo Stadium on Saturday.

The defeat proved to be their first loss from open play in the 2017/18 season and Larsen beamed with pride at the display against the Soweto giants.

"I think it was a game of two halves, we started brightly the first 10 to 15 minutes," he told SuperSport. "After they got the goal they started to play with their tails up.

"We came out a better team in second half. We knew we were going to concede possession playing with two strikers upfront. But the moment we made a change in the second half we brought in Sibiya in the middle, we started to be more creative.

"I'm very happy with the effort the boys gave me today, we may have not got the results but once again the boys have proven that we are no pushovers, we can compete with the best teams in the league."

Arrows will look to bounce back to winning ways when they face SuperSport United in a league clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Kick off is at 19:30.