Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane has shed light on Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana's early withdrawal during Sunday's MTN8 semi-final clash against AmaZulu.
Kaizer Chiefs crashed out of the 2022 MTN8 competition on Sunday after suffering a 0-0 (1-1) aggregate defeat on the away goals rule to AmaZulu at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in their semi-final encounter.
The Amakhosi came into the fixture in need of a goal after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg and were buoyed by the return of star striker Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana to the starting XI after he had missed the club's previous match through injury
Bimenyimana was unable to turn the tide, however, and was withdrawn shortly after the hour mark, with concern raised that the Burundi international may have sustained another injury after receiving medical attention moments before.
READ | Zwane: The goals we missed in the first leg cost us
Head coach Arthur Zwane later suggested that the 24-year-old's substitution was tactical in nature, as Chiefs looked to get the most out of their deliveries into the box.
"Look, our past game, leading up to this game, we had a lot of crosses inside the box and needed his presence, and we kept on saying stay inside the box because we want to drop the ball there," Zwane told SuperSport when asked about Bimenyimana's withdrawal.
"We had many in the second half, we just needed someone who could connect with the ball. Unfortunately, we were not aggressive enough in the final third entry to get a goal.
"But, we tried our level best and know we could have done better, but I can't fault the effort of the boys. They tried their best and things just didn't work out."
Bimenyimana has been one of Chiefs' standout players this season and has scored six goals in eight appearances across all competitions thus far.
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