Following their CAF Champions League exit, Orlando Pirates interim coach Rhulani Mokwena felt the players were just unfortunate against Green Eagles.
The Soweto giants were bundled out of the Africa's premier club competition after failing to overturn a first-leg defeat in Zambia.
READ: Eagles end Bucs' CCL journey
"If you play the way we played, not just from the tactical perspective but also emotionally, to get the players to go to another gear and the players responded," Mokwena told SuperSport TV after the embarrassing elimination.
"In the second half they put a lot of effort, they really poured their heart and soul. We were unfortunate, I think also we lost it away when we lost 1-0," he continued.
"But that's how the cookie crumbles. It's Murphy's law at the at the moment. Everything that could go wrong goes wrong you know."
The young tactician went on to say that it was just not their day, as he spoke to the players about focusing on critical phases of the game but they ended up conceding immediately after taking the lead.
"We spoke about the managing of critical phases. Unfortunately we scored and you don't manage the critical phase. Immediately after you score, you don't manage the game.
"But like I said, it's Murphy's law, even the goal comes out of absolutely nothing, the equaliser and it's where we are at the moment and we just have to soldier on. That's it.
"We tried what we could do from a technical perspective from the bench, trying to affect the game, we changed the shape a little bit and once we changed the shape in the second half, we were a little bit aggressive; had more numbers in the final third and created chances.
"Sometimes the decision-making was not right, but I can't ask for more. They fought and gave their best. When you're defeated by trying and giving your best, you take it as a learning curve and try to improve."
The former Mamelodi Sundowns assistant coach added that he feels the pain of the supporters and he knows what they are going through.
"The Buccaneers, we suffer with them, we bleed the same blood. We're not happy with the result as well, but every team has to go through what we're going through. It's like training any sort of muscle, once you go through it, you're stronger and able to withstand whatever difficulties that mate come your way. We have to take it. We have to be strong and stick together," he said.