City just need one goal and the rest will follow
HARTLEYVALE was abuzz yesterday with Cape Town City hard at work in preparation for their MTN8 semi-final first leg tie against Mamelodi Sundowns at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (3pm kickoff) – but everything at training centred around just one aspect: scoring goals.
City coach Benni McCarthy has been vocal about his team’s frailties in front of goal. While the football they play is eye-catching, the finishing leaves a lot to be desired. The former Bafana Bafana striker is demanding an improvement in this regard against Sundowns, which is why inside every square grid set up for training yesterday, including the use of three goalposts, it was shooting, finishing and scoring.
“It has been frustrating,” said McCarthy after training. “We play good football, but we cannot score. It’s not that we don’t work on it: as you can see, my training is scoring based and movement based. But the difference is simple: at training, there is no pressure, so the players can finish just fine; but in the game, there is pressure and then they don’t show the composure and the maturity, they are too rushed, and the chance is wasted. I still think, though, that it just needs one to hit the back of the net and the others will start to go in. Hopefully, on Saturday, our scoring woes can come to an end.”
McCarthy was optimistic about the semi-final because he is determined to win his first major prize as a coach. He did admit, however, that City would have to be at their best if they are to get past a quality side like Sundowns.
“It’s a difficult one,” he said. “Sundowns have a massive squad – they can pick two or three different squads at any time and still be competitive. I’m not even preparing for the players they sent out on Wednesday (0-0 draw with Highlands Park); they will come with fresher legs. So we won’t prepare for any of their personnel because we know that they always play the same system and come with the same tactical approach. They love to play attacking football, they love to control the tempo, and dictate the pace of the game. If we can keep them at bay, and frustrate them, then we will have a chance.
“The idea is to try to put the game to bed in the first leg. If not, then we have to make sure we give ourselves a good shot at it in the second leg; we have to make sure we don’t concede. We’ve done well in this competition in the past – and, for me, I want to go all the way to the final again. But, this time, to win it, so that I can get my hands on my first silverware in a managerial role.”
City have always, in the past, come unstuck against Sundowns because of the brilliance of Percy Tau and Khama Billiat. Now, though, both Tau and Billiat have moved on.
Tau was signed by English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion and subsequently sent on loan to the Second Division in Belgium, while Billiat moved to Kaizer Chiefs. Because of this, does McCarthy believe he has a better chance against Sundowns? Not at all. In fact, McCarthy believes that Sundowns have a player in their squad who is better than both Tau and Billiat: new signing Toni Silva.
“Without Tau and Billiat, it may have a psychological impact on Sundowns, but they still have such a lot of quality in their squad,” said McCarthy. “The players they have brought into the club have European experience and, with time, as their new guys settle, Sundowns will become just as clinical. I think they have made some exceptional buys this season, especially Tony Silva. I remember him from the time I was playing in Portugal for Porto. He was still a youngster then, but what a player. He is world class; and, once he finds his feet, we’ll see that we have brought to the PSL a player who is a class above what we have here.”
Silva, the 24-year-old from Guinea-Bissau, played at youth level for Benfica, Liverpool and Portugal.