New kids on the block chop Chiefs
CAPE TOWN: Cape Town City are through to the semi-finals of the MTN8 after crowning a splendid opening week of football with a famous 1-0 success over Kaizer Chiefs at the Cape Town Stadium last night.
Just three months into its existence as a PSL club, City have trumpeted their arrival in style. The Capetonians opened up with a league victory against Polokwane City on Tuesday and last night, in front of a 31 000-strong crowd in Green Point, they stunned Amakhosi by knocking the Soweto giants out of this cup competition.
In football, they say the game plan is everything and that was certainly the case here as City carried out coach Eric Tinkler’s chosen system and strategy brilliantly. They sat deep, allowed Chiefs to have the ball in non-threatening areas and then hit them on the break. In addition, City worked tirelessly and played with discipline and composure, even when they were under pressure from Chiefs.
After a spectacular second-half cameo from City captain Lebogang Manyama in Tuesday’s win over Polokwane, Tinkler had no hesitation in handing the player a start here. In other changes for the Cape side, experienced goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters came in for youngster Samora Motloung and Austrian Roland Putsche also started.
Chiefs were on the front foot from the start but conceded when they were unable to deal with the speed and efficiency of City’s counter-attacks. Amakhosi’s Lewis Macha had a header parried for a corner by Walters in the seventh minute and from the resultant set-piece, the Capetonians scored. Australian Matt Sim made a good clearing header from the corner and then City hit back on the break. Bhongolwethu Jayiya and Manyama combined swiftly and it was the same Sim who dashed the length of the field to be in the Chiefs penalty box to meet Jayiya’s pass and net a fantastic goal.
For the rest of the half, the Soweto side were in the ascendancy but City’s admirable discipline and dogged defensive organisation kept Amakhosi at bay, and when the opportunity arrived, the Cape side’s counter-attacks always troubled the opposition. On one such occasion, Manyama played in Lehlohonolo Majoro but Chiefs’ Lorenzo Gordinho pulled off a great tackle to foil the City striker.
While Chiefs continued to hog possession in the second half, chances accrued for City on the break. Manyama had a shot blocked while Chiefs keeper Itumeleng Khune had to be at his best to save a long-range effort from Jayiya.
Manyama, just back from injury, was substituted in the 58th minute as the pace and intensity of the game took its toll.
It’s early in the season but Chiefs still clearly have lots to work on. They looked disjointed at times, weren’t very composed in attack, and the pressure will now be mounting on coach Steve Komphela.
In contrast, there were so many heroes for City, from Walters all the way to Majoro up front. Central defender Tshepo Gumede – remember that name as he should be a Bafana Bafana regular in time to come. Jayiya, Manyama, Sim, Putsche and Mpho Matsi covered every blade of grass in midfield. Latvian centre-back Renars Roda, right-back Vincent Kobolo and leftback Aubrey Modiba all made industrious vcontributions that led to City’s fine victory.
City’s ultimate vision is be a team for all the people of the Cape and in how they’ve gone about their business, they have certainly shown their intent.
They’ve stated that they want to warm their way into the hearts of Capetonians and surely there’s no better way to do that than by beating Chiefs, the country’s most popular football club.