Cape Town City are the 2016 Telkom Knockout champions after defeating SuperSport United 2-1 at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday. The impressive Cape side produced yet another excellent showing and were deserved winners.
Despite City’s outstanding start to their debut season in the PSL, both players and officials have always been quick to announce that the club had not achieved anything as yet. After Saturday, it can now confidently be heralded from the rooftops of the Mother City that City have arrived, and they have achieved.
Throughout the build-up, the word from the City camp was unanimous: They wanted to go to Polokwane and make history. That, too, has now been achieved.
In fact, City’s feat in winning this prestigious cup competition - and the concomitant prize money of R4.25 million - has been nothing short of a fairytale.
Only established as a PSL club in June, when John Comitis bought the franchise of Mpumalanga Black Aces, the new Cape team has made the entire country sit up and marvel at what they have done in such a short space of time.
It’s not just the professional approach of the club, it’s also in the exciting, fearless football the team plays, the hunger to win games and, above all, the spirit of unity and harmony that coach Eric Tinkler has been able to foster in the squad.
Cape Town City’s Aubrey Ngoma, right, celebrates his goal with Lebogang Manyama in the Telkom Knockout Cupfinal against Supersport United. Picture: BackpagePix
In the Polokwane final, it was the players’ ability to follow Tinkler’s game plan to the T and then transfer it to the field of play that was the key to victory.
From the opening whistle, it was all about the quick press for City. They shut down the spaces and harried and harassed opponents when SuperSport had possession. In turn, with SuperSport struggling to find their rhythm, the Capetonians were super-efficient on the transition.
When Dean Furman and Reneilwe Letsholonyane in central midfield dictate the tempo for the Pretoria club, then invariably they dominate. On Saturday, both Furman and Letsholonyane struggled to get going as City’s Mpho Matsi and Roland Putsche effectively shut them down.
It was on the back of this impressive opening that City took the lead in the 13th minute, and it was a goal that perfectly illustrated the Tinkler strategy as well as the deadly individual quality of the Cape side’s attackers.
Left-back Thato Mokeke was alert to SuperSport initiating a passing move, he shut it down with a great tackle and, when the ball spilled loose, it fell to Putsche. The Austrian midfielder laid the ball on for Aubrey Ngoma, and the winger unleashed an unstoppable drive from just outside the penalty area that skidded into the far corner of the net.
SuperSport had no choice but to come out in search of an equaliser in the second half. In their quest, they often left themselves open at the back. City had a few opportunities to increase their lead, but failed to take advantage.
Ahead of the final, Tinkler spoke about SuperSport’s strength at set-pieces, and this was exactly how the Pretoria team found a way back. City failed to deal with a corner-kick and during the scrappy melee, Kingston Nkhatha levelled for Matsatsantsa in the 71st minute.
Photo: BackpagePix
But this City team is made of stern stuff. Tinkler preaches courage to his squad and he has also inculcated a warrior spirit in his players. They never give up, they show character and, two minutes later, they rattled back to take a 2-1 lead.
“Captain Marvellous” Lebogang Manyama was again the instigator, finding Ngoma with a sweet pass and his cross, in turn, found the head of substitute Judas Moseamedi and into the net it went.
SuperSport had a great opportunity to level again before the end, when Thabo Mnyamane was in at the far post, but the SuperSport forward was denied by a superb tackle from right-back Thamsanqa Mkhize.
At the other end, City could have struck a late goal, too, as they continued to hit the opposition on the counter, but Manyama’s effort was cleared off the goal-line by Furman.
It was again the fantastic team ethic that did the trick for City. From the reliability of goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters, the magnificent central defensive pair Robyn Johannes and Tshepo Gumede, the enterprising flank defenders Mkhize and Mokeke, the industrious, combative Putsche and Matsi, and the unselfish contributions of Sibusiso Masina and Bongolethu Jayiya.
And then, of course, with City nothing is complete without mention of the energetic, effervescent duo of Manyama and Ngoma.
When the club was formed about six months ago, Comitis was vocal about the fact City was a Cape Town entity. He wanted to build a team from the city, for the city, and he wanted it to capture the imagination of all Capetonians.
He wanted it to be a club for people from all walks and communities of the city. With what City have achieved, and the Telkom Knockout now being the cherry on top, surely Comitis’ vision is on track.