Platinum Stars’ season got off to a dream start at the expense of favourites SuperSport United, with a 1-0 win at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
Midfielder Robert Ngambi scored with a header to give 10-men Stars a win and maximum points, ahead of the team many are touting to win Absa Premiership title this season.
Before the start of the season, SuperSport made a number of singings and a lot was expected from Stuart Baxter and his men but their performances didn’t match the names on the team sheet.
Baxter’s selection was questionable especially in the middle of the park. He pared Michael Morton and Dean Furman in central midfield. He then deployed new signing Reneilwe Letsholonyane behind the strikers.
It has hard for Letsholonyane, as the role required a player with tons of energy and movements. At 34, Letsholonyane was always going to battle. The men from the capital citycouldn’t stamp their authority.
The few chances SuperSport created saw the likes of Bradley Grobler and Jeremy Brockie fluffing them. It was a combination of poor application and excellent goalkeeper by Mbongeni Mzimela that denied Matsatsantsa a Pitori.
Earlier in the second half the home team was reduced to 10 men after debutant Siphamandla Mlilo was shown matching orders for second bookable offence on Grobler.
With Stars a man down, it was expected that Matsatsantsa will make it count but it was Dikwena who did the job.
When they were awarded a freekick outside the box, Vuyo Mere sent an inswinging effort that was headed past keeper Ronwen Williams by midfielder Robert Ngambi.
SuperSport tried to pull one back.
A brilliant move instigated by Letsholonyane saw the dreadlocked midfielder surge forward down the left. He evaded two players and switched play with a long pass to find Morton down the right. Morton found Grobler in the box and the striker offloaded to Manyamane, whose diving header sailed across the face of goal.
Dikwena resorted to defending and SuperSport pushed men forward. Johnson withdrew striker Ndumiso Mabena and put in Solomon Mathe to stabilise and consolidate their lead.
Grobled and Mnyamane got chances to pull one back but their attempts at goal left a lot to be desired. Their marksman Brockie was conspicuous by his standards. The New Zealander didn’t even have a single shot at goal.
That sums up how awful SuperSport were. It was a serious upset for Baxter and his men.
Independent Media