SuperSport, Igesund scoop first Telkom KO title

mother served the club for many years, the Phala household literally earning their livelihood at Stars.

You’d have sworn Phala had forgotten all of this yesterday, such was his inspired performance which saw SuperSport usurp Dikwena as Telkom knockout champions.

His stunning individual goal will remain the lingering memory from this year’s tournament: the winger’s slaloming run past two defenders before he slotted home past Siyabonga Mpontshane.

But he did more than just score that goal, also winning the penalty that gave Matsatsantsa the 2-1 lead via Clayton Daniels’ conversion – the captain having also netted the equaliser from the spot in the first half.

Using his pace and skill, he beat Luvolwethu Mpeta to deliver a cross that Mpontshane failed to handle, only for Lebogang Manyama to spill it. Confident he had the beating of his marker, Mpeta, Phala spent the afternoon toying with the Stars rightback and delivering dangerous crosses.

Typical of a cup final, this one could so easily have gone either way and Stars will look back and feel they should have wrapped it up at the end of the first half of extra time.

In a period that produced a crazy three minutes that saw first Daniels put SuperSport ahead with his second penalty conversion, then Mogakolodi Ngele equalise with a superb half volley, Eleazor Rodgers had a chance to put Stars ahead.

But from a spot kick awarded after Thabo Moloi handled in the box, the lanky striker was twice denied by Ronwen Williams.

The young goalkeeper stopped Rodgers’ first attempt and then leapt back into action to push the ball out when the Capetonian took a second bite from the rebound.

It was the turning point of the game, although it appeared the match could well be decided from the shoot-out.

But then Phala received the ball on the right and ran at Mpeta, whom he beat before shooting into the net.

It was a superb goal, worthy of a final that see-sawed from brilliant to tepid from the first half to the second. The first was played at an extremely high intensity and the second was more along the lines of a Sunday morning park kickabout.

Still, there were chances created even during the second half, which could have decided the match before the extended time.

Dove

Wome

forced Mpontshane to make a splendid save with a bullet-like shot from the edge of the box on 10 minutes, and from the resultant corner Manyama’s low shot was cleared off the line with the Stars goalkeeper in no man’s land.

Ng’ambi lobbed towards goal, but Williams was quick to run back and fist out for a corner.

SuperSport had a seemingly legitimate penalty appeal turned down on 19 minutes after a brilliant exchange of passes between Wome and Sibusiso Khumalo ended with the latter being hacked in the box.

When

referee

Thando Ndzanzeka gave them a spot kick, from which Daniels equalised, it looked as though he was making up for his initial error.

Stars had taken the lead through Ng’ambi, the Malawian profiting from some persistent play by Rodgers who chased the ball on the far left, kept it in play and delivered for Ndumiso Mabena, to set up the scorer. Ng’ambi shot the ball low and hard past the diving Williams.

And then extra time came, with those three crazy minutes during which Phala put a sword through his former club’s heart to give joy to Matsatsantsa.