City to feel heat without key striker
CAPE Town City will be without experienced striker Lehlohonolo Majoro for the Telkom Knockout final against SuperSport United on Saturday‚ a blow that coach Eric Tinkler says the club will have to overcome.
The majority of the City side will be featuring in their first cup final‚ where Majoro’s experience after spells at Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates would have been welcomed.
Instead he will have to offer support from the sidelines‚ along with Latvian defender Renars Rode‚ who has a hamstring tweak.
Tinkler says the quality of Majoro‚ especially‚ will be missed‚ after the forward ended a barren run in front of goal with three goals in six matches before being injured in the 1-1 draw with Chiefs last week.
“He’s injured and won’t be available for the final‚” Tinkler confirms.
“I always knew he had that ability to come back and if he worked extremely hard‚ he has the natural ability of scoring goals.”
The former Pirates coach‚ who lost two finals with The Buccaneers during his tenure there‚ says he is feeling no pressure ahead of Saturday’s clash with favourites SuperSport.
“They are a team that [coach] Stuart Baxter has built to win the league. They stand that potential of winning the league.
“Game by game they have got better and better‚” Tinkler says.
“The demands at the club is obviously to win things this season‚ so it’s going to be an extremely tough game. But we go in there with no pressure because nobody expected us to be where we are.
“The reality is we are here because of a lot of hard work that we have put in and the quality of the football that we can produce.
“We have already shown that we are a very good team and going forward we will always create opportunities and score goals.”
City are seeking a first ever Premier Soccer League trophy having only been formed this season after the sale of the Mpumalanga Black Aces franchise to John Comitis.
SuperSport have won the Telkom Knockout once before‚ in 2014‚ having lost in the 2004 and 2005 finals. — TMG Digital