Is Polokwane City's Phuti Mohafe regretting selling Bafana Bafana star Oswin Appollis to Orlando Pirates? - 'I lost a family member, so I am grieving?

Polokwane City head coach Phuti Mohafe has confirmed that he was left heartbroken after his former player Oswin Appollis played a key role as Orlando Pirates eliminated them from the MTN8 tournament.

Appollis completed a transfer move from Polokwane to Bucs and on Saturday, was on fire as the two Premier Soccer League sides contested in a quarter-final game.

Describing the forward as a family member, Mohafe revealed how he feels after letting the star leave.

“It’s always difficult to lose a family member. I lost a family member [in Appollis], so I am grieving. No man, that [Appollis’s move] shows that I taught him well,” Mohafe joked during a post-match presser with SuperSport TV.

“He left for a bigger team, and all I can do is wish him well. I am feeling the pinch ... he left a big hole in my team and for me, and for us to replace him, it’s going to take some time," he added.

However, the tactician was quick to take credit for Appollis' performances, saying he taught him the movements.

“He scored against us. To me, it’s the move we taught him at Polokwane City, and he did it perfectly against us," he said.

“It doesn’t sit well with me. How could you do this with this massive move, and you kill me?! But it’s fine; we taught him well, and he chose progress.”

Appollis was involved in the two goals against Polokwane, scoring the opener and winning the penalty. He was then named Man of the Match and consequently received praise from his coach, Abdeslam Ouaddou.

Although Polokwane may regret letting their star leave, Pirates, on the other hand, are happy that their new signing is showing signs of turning out to be a successful acquisition.

After setting the bar high on his debut, the challenge is now to maintain that high-level performance going into the season.

The new signing, going by how he performed in the pre-season and against Polokwane, has signalled that he is ready to deliver as Pirates' fans would expect.