Tinkler goes silent, skips press conference after painful Pirates defeat and MTN8 heartbreak

Cape Town City head coach Eric Tinkler opted out of his post-match press conference after his team's crushing 2-0 defeat (3-1 on aggregate) to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semi-final second leg on Saturday.

The loss prolongs City's six-year trophy drought, while Pirates march towards history, now within touching distance of a third consecutive MTN8 title - a feat never before achieved in the tournament's history.

Tinkler had inspired his troops through a half-time team talk on Wednesday in the first leg as City clawed their way back to salvage a 1-1 draw.

However, in Soweto, the Cape side fell short as the Buccaneers simply outclassed them in every department.

Despite their best efforts, City couldn't find a foothold in the match, as Tshegofatso Mabasa's clinical header and Deon Hotto's sublime free-kick sealed the deal.

Tinkler, who initially took the reins at Cape Town City in 2016, quickly made his mark before departing 14 months later for SuperSport United.

However, in a twist of fate, he returned at the close of the 2020/2021 season, eager to pick up where he left off and revive the club’s ambitions.

His second stint has been filled with highs and lows, but the elusive silverware still remains out of reach.

In Tinkler's absence at the post-match press conference, it was left to his assistant coach Diogo Peral to address the media.

While providing insight into the game, the assistant remained tight-lipped about why Tinkler chose to skip one of his fundamental responsibilities as a head coach, leaving the reasoning behind his no-show open to speculation.

"Where do we go from here? Nothing's changed. We're very positive about the team we've put together," said Peral. 

"What we need is probably a little bit more time. A bit