Winner takes all Phala, Nodada lead charge

Thuso chases gold number 7

‘‘ Other players tend to think a lot about what’s at stake... That’s pressure.

Thuso Phala’s contribution in cup finals is understated, but the SuperSport United winger will be the one to watch against Cape Town City in the MTN8 final at Moses Mabhida Stadium tomorrow (7pm).

Phala, 31, has been to seven cup finals in his career that started at Silver Stars (now Platinum Stars) over a decade ago and he’s won six. So, a Matsatsantsa triumph in the Wafa Wafa decider could make it a seventh winners’ medal for the Soweto lad.

Phala, in fact, probably has revenge in mind because the only time he has ever lost a final was against City in last year’s Telkom Knockout, a competition he had won three times before that defeat.

Phala’s maiden cup final appearance was in 2006 with Silver Stars when they beat Ajax Cape Town 3-0 in Atteridgeville, courtesy of a Simba Marumo hat-trick.

He now returns to Moses Mabhida where he was one of the standout performers in SuperSport’s 4-1 annihilation of Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final four months ago. So what is Phala’s secret in cup finals?

“I don’t think a lot about the game ahead of a final. I prepare like for any other game. I relax and stick to my routine,” Phala told Sowetan yesterday.

“Other players tend to think a lot about what’s at stake and what can be won or lost on the day. That’s pressure. For me, it’s an opportunity to sing the national anthem and be watched by the whole country,” he said.