CAPE TOWN – Kermit Erasmus continues to find the target as Cape Town City seem to be on a bit of a roll after back-to-back victories in the PSL for the first time this season.
City followed last weekend’s shock 2-0 win over Wits at Cape Town Stadium with a 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Black Leopards at the same venue on Saturday, with striker Erasmus scoring in the 60th minute for his second goal in as many games and ninth overall. City have played five times this month and notched up three wins, one draw and one loss for a haul of 10 points from a possible 15.
It’s sweet returns nevertheless for City’s Dutch coach Jan Olde Riekerink, who failed to win any of his first four games in charge without a goal being scored. He now has three wins and three draws to his name from nine games, but more importantly, his team have moved from being at the foot of the table at one time to 10th place on 23 points.
Olde Riekerink replaced ousted Benni McCarthy who was at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday to watch his mate and former player Robyn Johannes turnout for Stellenbosch FC against Polokwane City. McCarthy would have been pleased with the 1-0 outcome in favour of the Winelands team, who have now won three games in a row. McCarthy was in town after attending Johannes’ wedding last weekend. Olde Riekerink told his players before the clash with Leopards that they faced a tougher assignment than was the case against Wits.
“It was important for us to make a strong statement in the first half and not allow them to dictate the rhythm, and we did just that,” said Olde Riekerink. “We had a really big chance from a corner earlier on and if we scored a goal the whole game would have been a lot easier. Then later on we dropped the tempo too low and had to make repairs at halftime.
“We let Mpho Makola, who was playing as a defensive midfielder play a little more deeper and Thabo Nodada in midfield a little more into spaces behind Kermit and in-between their two central defenders. They did well; there was little more focus on the transition and we started to dictate play again.
“I must pay my team a big compliment for the points they’ve earned this year. We were in a difficult situation on the log and needed a change in fortunes, so again well done to them for what they’ve been able to achieve.”