Nothing Super about United and Mazembe

THIS CLASH was as dull as the scoreline suggests. So much so that a quarrel between two spectators which almost turned into a fisticuff provided the excitement for the crowd.

The security personnel quickly intervened and the focus was quickly shifted on to the pitch.

But no one in either side was able to provide the much-needed intervention to spark this Caf Confederation Cup group clash into life with a goal.

Granted, both sides will probably be pleased with the point they got from this stalemate seeing that it keeps their hopes of progression to the knockout stages alive.

SuperSport now have six points points from their four matches and occupy second spot behind Horoya who beat CF Mounana 1-0 last night and top the group on eight points.

The Congolese giants Mazembe, meanwhile, are third but on the same number of points with Matsantsa a Pitori who are ahed by virtue ofhaving scored more goals as the two sides have the same goal difference.

Given their thrilling 2-2 draw in their first encounter out in the DRC, expectations were high that this match will produced fireworks.

But there were no such as the two sides huffed and puffed their way towards goals and proved to be as blunt as a butter knife in the final third.

Even with their three-pronged attack of Bradley Grobler, Thabo Mnyamane and Thusa Phala, SuperSport just could no find their way to troubling the Congolese rearguard.

Intent on changing the status quo, Stuart Baxter introduced another attacking player in Jeremy Brockie in place of defender Onismor Bhasera.

While the substitution saw SuperSport create some decent chances it made no significant impact in the bigger scheme of thins as the goal failed to materialise. Not even when Baxter brought on Kingston Nkhatha for Grobler could the home side breach the Mazembe goals.

In the end though, a goalless draw was a result both sides would have welcomed as it keeps them in the hunt for the top two places with two rounds of matches remaining.

SuperSport next host Horoya on July 1 and nothing less than victory over the side that is now at the summit will do for Matsatsantsa who will have to do so without Baxter who will have moved to Bafana Bafana fulltime.

The Scotsman though has one last match in charge at the weekend when he leads SuperSport in the defence of their Nedbank Cup title against Orlando Pirates in the final at Durban;’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

He will require his team to be much more sharp up front than they were here last night if his tenure is to end in glorious success and forever endear him to the club’s supporters.