SuperSport United(1) 1
Booysen 4
Nedbank Ke Yona Team 0
Johannesburg - The Nedbank Ke Yona team coaches, Owen da Gama, Mike Mangena and Khabo Zondo, fielded a team which epitomised composure on Sunday at Sinaba Stadium.
No signs of nerves were present in the way they played, except for that one moment where Mario Booysen sneaked in a superb header in the fourth minute for the Nedbank Cup defending champions SuperSport United.
Thulani Motloung, the Nedbank Ke Yona Team right centre-back, provided his side with the needed confidence at the back, in the way he marked Kingston Nkhatha.
His tackles were well-timed, forcing the stocky centre forward from the Pretoria side to drift to the flank to try and shake him off.
Thembinkosi Mbamba, another Nedbank Ke Yona hopeful, caused all sorts of problems for Matsatsantsa a Pitori with his skill up front.
The 20-year old from Duduza gave SuperSport United and Under-20 international Katlego Mahomme a hard time on the right, before swapping positions with Katlego Mohlala to play on the left.
On the left wing, Mbamba was in his natural habitat.
SuperSport’s right-back, Athenkosi Dlala, struggled to keep up with his surging pace; forcing Booysen to cover each time Mbamba was on the move.
Kaitano Tembo, who was standing in for Stuart Baxter as head coach on the day, fielded a completely different starting line-up compared to the one that lost 3-2 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the MTN8 quarter-finals a week ago.
Perhaps the coach was using this encounter as an audition to appraise which player deserved to move up into his side’ starting line-up for their upcoming competitive matches to help fix their problems both in defence in and also on attack.
If that was the case then, the majority of his players in the attacking third failed dismally.
SuperSport were woeful in front of goal in the first period, and their performance in the second half was no different either.
The majority of their shots went wide each time they went for goal.
And when they were on target, they made Mushwakhe Mncwango, the Ke Yona shot-stopper, shine between the sticks.
The Ke Yona side created a decent number of chances in the second period, however, were unlucky as substitute SuperSport shot-stopper Mondli Mpoto, who came in for Boafela Pule in the second period, denied them hitting the back of the net.
The Star