Comitis: it’s Benni’s turn for silverware
CITY CHAIRMAN: WE HAVE AN EDGE OVER SUPERSPORT
Cape Town City got the silverware monkey off their back in their inaugural Absa Premiership season, in terms of winning the Telkom Knockout in 2016.
Now it is time for City coach Benni McCarthy to get his first shiny trophy as a head coach, City chairman John Comitis believes.
The Mother City campaigners have a chance to undo last season’s wrongs when they meet SuperSport United in Durban this Saturday in a repeat of last year’s MTN8 final. McCarthy’s City lost on penalties in that game to Matsatsantsa.
“Once you’ve lost one final you know all of the emotions and what it means and that plays a role in preparing you for the next one. You kind of think more of what you must not do again. But football is football and on the day anything can happen,” Comitis told Phakaaathi.
The City boss said his team have a psychological advantage over the defending champions, having beaten Matsatsantsa on the opening day of the season. Comitis is well aware of the confidence that United are showing after they routed Black Leopards 4-0, but says City’s comeback to draw 2-2 at Orlando Pirates last week did them the world of good.
“We have beaten SuperSport this season and I think psychologically we have that edge over them. The team is extremely prepared and I would say 99% of the players are fit. Tokelo Rantie may even get some minutes at the end of the game.
“It was a good morale-booster that they could prove that even under difficult circumstances they could come back against a team (Pirates) that is on form. We are also fully aware that SuperSport have gone on to win 4-0 and I think that has set the stage for an exciting final for a big game,” said Comitis, before he went on to describe Ayanda Patosi as potentially the “best” player in the league.
“We can see from the last performance (he scored twice against Pirates) what he is capable of and when he is on 100% he is the best player in the country to be honest. He just needs to fulfil his potential and remain as serious as he is now and he can only go from strength to strength.”