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Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has refused to blame Reyaad Pieterse for the own-goal that killed their Telkom Knockout hopes against Baroka.
The Brazilians were sent packing in the quarter-finals after a 2-0 defeat to Bakgaga at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday, with a goal in each half doing the damage.
Mduduzi Mdantsane opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 22 minutes when Talent Chawapiwa's header struck Mosa Lebusa on the arm inside the box.
Pieterse was unable to keep the spot-kick out, despite Mdantsane slipping in the act of shooting as the ball went straight sown the middle of the goal.
The killer blow came in the 68th minute as Matome Kgoetyane's cross from the right deflected off Lebusa to wrong-foot the Sundowns keeper, who ended up pushing the ball into the back of the net.
Mosimane, though, leapt to the defence of the off-season signing from Kaizer Chiefs, insisting he was not at fault for the goals.
"Do I really want to judge him on that? A penalty and a deflection?" Mosimane told the club's official website.
"I have seen a deflection scored against Denis Onyango. I have seen a deflection against (Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng) Khune. I have seen a deflection against (Manchester United goalkeeper, David) De Gea and it goes in.
"All those top goalkeepers, even penalties. So really, I don't think I should blame him for those two goals. Let's be honest. It's not about Reyaad.
"Let's not kill the players because we are still going to need him. When he played against Golden Arrows, he had a decent game and there were no questions about his performance."
