SuperSport will be a lot calmer this time
JOHANNESBURG: It’s not quite the second bite of the cherry that would have meant most to them this season, but SuperSport United have another chance tonight to prove they have staying power.
Currently occupying top spot in Group D of their Caf Confederation Cup campaign, which includes title holders TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the South African side hosts the defending champions at the Lucas Moripe Stadium looking to put one foot in the quarter-finals with a win.
SuperSport failed in their quest to clinch the PSL title during the 2016-17 season despite occupying top spot for several weeks, until the loss of form saw eventual champions Wits leapfrog to the top as they slumped to fifth place.
The Confederation Cup is altogether a different kettle of fish compared to a league marathon. Matsatsantsa are currently pace-setters with five points from their three group games, and victory over Mazembe, a side they held to a 2-2 draw in Kinshasa two weeks ago, would make them early favourites to progress to the next phase.
“We have two big games this week which have different requirements in terms of performance,” said SuperSport assistant coach Kaitano Tembo.
Tembo has had to step up quite a bit lately as current head coach Stuart Baxter has had to come and go because of his other commitment as Bafana Bafana mentor. Tembo was also referring to the Nedbank Cup final against Orlando Pirates in Durban on Saturday night.
It was Tembo, held in high esteem by the players given that he is a former club captain and due to his role now in the technical team, who travelled to the DRC as Baxter stayed behind to prepare Bafana for their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria last weekend.
“I think we were intimidated and unsettled there in the first 20 minutes,” Tembo recalled of SuperSport’s trip to face TP Mazembe.
“But we settled down and realised they can be beaten and we forced them to make mistakes with the way we played our game. The crowd turned against them at some point and it favoured us as the away team. Sometimes that is the disadvantage of having such a huge following.
“I know that we will be a lot calmer and more settled this time around because the conditions are different when we play at home, obviously.”
Mazembe wouldn’t have won this competition last year if they were not good travellers, and Tembo expects them not to sit back, especially given that a place in the next round is still very much up for grabs.
“We expect them to come at us,” he said. “They like to have the ball and have good players (for their style), among them Tresor Mputu and their captain Rainford Kalaba.
“They are dangerous when it comes to one-on-one situations, and they, too, will be calmer as well because their huge following also puts them under pressure when they are at home.
“When they are playing away they are not under so much pressure.”