Tembo’s SuperSport were negative
The win in the MTN8 final was 100% deserved by Cape Town City. It was actually a surprise that for me, Supersport United played not to lose. I don’t think they went out saying “Let’s win this”.
Were they forced back? I am not too sure, but they certainly didn’t react. It is one thing sitting back and managing the game and trying to catch a team on the counter, but even going forward, SuperSport couldn’t change gear … I think they tried to exploit the spaces left behind by Edmilson Dove on the one flank and Thamsanqa Mkhize on the other … but when Fagrie Lakay went off just before half-time they lost a bit of creativity.
In hindsight, Ghampani Lungu never had the impact they needed and maybe the experience of Thuso Phala would have been a better replacement.
The substitutes never had a proper impact. SuperSport defended well, especially with James Keene dropping back into midfield, so not giving Roland Putsche and Thabo Nodada a lot of time on the ball. That helped them to be effective in the middle of the park and they managed to contain Ayanda Patosi.
Benni McCarthy’s team set up to play total football, passing from the back – even when there was a high press, they managed to get out. Nodada was very disciplined next to Putsche and that allowed their wide play to be effective. Dove, in the latter part of the first half, managed to gain ground on the left and put in a few telling crosses. On the other side, Gift Links had a very good game. He linked up well with Mkhize on the right.
The best chances fell to City, but Patosi was guilty of missing a good one. Siphelele Mthembu found himself a bit on the periphery, making runs away from goal. He does hold it up nicely but I just feel he doesn’t get in the right positions when he should.
He fluffed an opportunity after Nodada had a strike on goal, so he should have done better. City came out in the second half and continued where they had left off. You often see how in finals the tide can change and we were hoping for a reaction from SuperSport, but there was none.
When Craig Martin went off it looked like it might be a big loss but Links continued to terrorise defenders and also hit the post. Dove gained in confidence once Lakay went off, Lungu was not as dangerous but had more confidence to overlap. We saw him force Ronwen Williams into a save.
What often happens in cup finals is that the dominant team concedes. But in this case Peter Leeuwenburgh has come in and given so much confidence to City. With the last kick before extra time, SuperSport were awarded a freekick.
We know how dangerous Aubrey Modiba can be. But the keeper made the save look so easy, although so often they make a hash of it when they are unsighted by their defence.
Leeuwenburgh was a calm presence in the box and gave confidence to his defence, with Taariq Fielies out and Kouassi Kouadja alongside Kwanda Mngonyama. Penalties are a lottery and SuperSport missed two. With Reneilwe Letsholonyane you normally expect a little better.
For Benni McCarthy, this will give him a lot of confidence. He has clearly learned lessons from his first season. He has been a bit sterner, a bit tougher on the boys.