'We really deserve it'
City must put final on hold
Rodney Reiners
When John Comitis established Cape Town City in June, he had one objective in mind and he wasn’t afraid to shout it from the rooftops for all of the Mother City to hear: He wanted his new club to capture the imagination of the football public.
Five months down the line, all will agree that Comitis and everybody attached to the club have certainly achieved what they set out to do. On Saturday, City defeated Free State Stars 4-1 to secure a place in the Telkom Knockout final. They are currently second on the PSL standings and, earlier this year, they also made it to the semi-finals of the MTN8. In fact, they have now put together a string of seven victories on the trot. If that doesn’t capture your imagination, then, I guess, nothing will...
City will now meet SuperSport United in the Cup final on 10 December, at a venue still to be decided.
But the joy and excitement of making the final are already on hold. The Capetonians have been vocal that they have not, as yet, achieved anything. They know they need to emerge victorious in the finale before they can really say that they have arrived.
In any case, there is no time to dwell on anything because the next challenge is already upon them - and it’s a tough one, indeed. On Tuesday, City take on Kaizer Chiefs in a PSL fixture at the FNB Stadium (7.30pm kick-off), and then, on Friday, the Cape side has an arduous task against log leaders Wits at the Bidvest Stadium.
So there’s no doubt that coach Eric Tinkler will be highlighting that his players place the Cup final far, far back in their minds. The next few days of league action are just as important for the team.
But let’s rewind a little to Saturday’s semi-final win over Stars. It was a performance studded with entertaining offence and laced with class and quality. But for the heroics of Ea Lla Koto’s goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni, City could have won by a rugby margin, such was their superiority in all facets of the game.
“We should certainly have had more goals,” said a beaming Tinkler. “I am very proud of the boys, it was a great performance, they were fantastic. We really deserve it. I said to the players that this is an opportunity to create history for themselves and the club, to create a legacy. The trophies you have in the cabinet is how you are measured as a professional sportsman.”
City’s triumph was built on a magnificent team ethic and capped by a few stunning individual displays. Goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters was the epitome of reliability, left-back Thato Mokeke never put a foot wrong and right-back Vincent Kobola was consistency-personified. The new central defensive pairing (regulars Tshepo Gumede and Robyn Johannes were suspended) of Ghanaian Joseph Adjei and Thamsanqa Mkhize rose to the occasion and hardly looked out of place, while Mpho Matsi was his usual abrasive presence in central midfield. Sibusiso Masina, out wide on the right, is growing in stature with every game, while Lehlohonolo Majoro is looking enthusiastic and confident again.
But the three who deserve a special word of praise, as the drivers behind Saturday’s semi-final success, were captain Lebogang Manyama, Aubrey Ngoma and Austrian Roland Putsche.
Manyama has been in fantastic nick all season. His game intelligence, awareness of space, and class and poise are a treat to watch - and, truthfully, on present form, there is no better player in the PSL at the moment. Left-wing Ngoma’s pace, skill and brazen industry troubled the Free Staters for the entire 90 minutes, and he’s another player who’s really set the local football stage afire this season.
Midfielder Putsche arrived in the Mother City with a big reputation. Initially, though, the adaptation was tough. Putsche struggled with the speed of the game in the PSL. But he’s settled down nicely and, over the last few weeks, he has been extremely influential in the City engine-room. Against Stars on Saturday, without doubt, he turned in his best performance to date - and from here on in, no doubt, he’ll only get better.
So, as City prepare for a Cup final, just five months into its existence as a club, for Tinkler it’s an opportunity to get his own personal monkey off the back. While coach of Orlando Pirates, he made it to the final of the Caf Confederation Cup and Nedbank Cup - and lost on both occasions.
“I hope it is third time lucky,” said Tinkler.
Cape Times