Cape Town City’s fairytale debut season continues
SuperSport United Nkhatha 71 (1) 2 Ngoma 13, Moseamedi 73 YOU have to take Cape Town City seriously now – top of the Absa Premiership table and today newly crowned Telkom Knockout champions.
Their fairytale start to the 2016-17 season can no longer be undermined, especially after SuperSport United suffered from stage fright in Polokwane yesterday and the Capetonians looked more settled and the hungrier of the two sides.
They possessed a goal threat with the deadly combination of captain Lebogang Manyama and winger Aubrey Ngoma. That we all knew. But they added grit to their already impressive style.
It may not have been the kind of cup final the sponsors were dreaming of, but these were two deserving sides in this competition and the league in general given that City are three points clear of SuperSport in the championship race after 12 matches.
They are also two of the highest scoring sides in the campaign so far and came into this clash with their respective unbeaten streaks – SuperSport hoping to make it 15 games without a defeat, while City looked to stretch theirs to 10 outings.
You would have probably fancied SuperSport, the Nedbank Cup holders from winning that cup in May, with coach Stuart Baxter outsmart- ing then Orlando Pirates coach, Eric Tinkler, who has been hailed for his work ethic and hunger for success in helping City to their remarkable achievement so far this season since he was appointed mentor.
He was seen as small fry at Pirates, too wet behind the ears to hold such a hot seat when there are more experienced coaches available.
Perhaps this cup triumph is as much for him and his credibility as it is for his players who have fought so gallantly and have upset the odds.
Their start to this late afternoon kick-off in front of a disappointing crowd for a cup final was no surprise.
Ngoma, as he has done all season long, collected the ball from outside the SuperSport box and went for goal, the sweetly struck shot proving too much for goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse.
There were questions marks about how City won the loose ball that found its way to Ngoma in the first place, as midfielder Thuso Phala looked to have been fouled just seconds earlier. But the goal stood and City were living the dream.
There wasn’t much of a change in the second half, with City still resolute in defence and SuperSport struggling to break down their back four, a department Tinkler had pointed out was a concern in the build-up to this encounter.
SuperSport did exploit that frailty in the 72nd minute when Kingston Nkhatha benefited from a goal-mouth melee and grabbed the equaliser.
But Baxter’s men were still not in the game despite the leveller, and City were quickly back in the lead when substitute Judas Moseamedi headed home what was eventually the winner seconds after the score was level. The assist, came from (yes, you guessed it) Ngoma.