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Kaizer Chiefs' Nurkovic warns 'it is only half-time' against Wydad Casablanca as he hails VAR intervention
The Serb was the hero of Amakhosi’s famous win in Morocco with his first-half goal deciding the contest on Saturday
Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic has demanded they put their celebrations following Saturday's 1-0 win over Wydad Casablanca on ice as there is still the Champions League semi-final, second-leg to play against the same opponents next weekend.
Nurkovic’s 34th-minute goal separated Chiefs and Wydad away at Stade Mohamed V to hand the Soweto giants the advantage heading into the return leg at FNB Stadium on June 26.
Chiefs will now host Wydad at FNB Stadium next Saturday and a draw of any kind will be enough to see them through to their maiden Champions League final.
With 90 minutes of the semi-final still to go, a cautious Nurkovic wants his teammates to put on hold celebrating the first-leg triumph but says they should remain “happy.”
“It was a great team effort and I was really happy to have contributed to the victory. But we can’t still be celebrating because it is only half time. Next week we are playing them at home and we have to make sure we win that game as well,” Nurkovic told Chiefs’ media.
“I am going to leave that [the strategy for the second leg] to the coach because we have a very good coach. I am not worried about all these things because everything will be fine.
“They [teammates] have to be happy. It’s really a good result away from home and it’s the first leg of the semi-final of the Champions League so they have to be happy. It was a good effort from each and everyone in the team and like I said, we have to continue with the same fighting spirit.”
However, Nurkovic’s goal which had the final say in the match was accompanied by some controversy after it was initially ruled as offside.
But after consulting the video assistant referee, the goal stood.
“It is important [having VAR] because there will be less cheating,” added Nurkovic.
“If it is not important then none of these biggest leagues in the world wouldn’t be using it. Like I said I am really happy to have contributed to the victory and it was really a good team effort.
"So we just have to continue with the same fighting spirit.”
