CAPE TOWN - Bongolethu Jayiya netted the fastest hat-trick in PSL history as Cape Town City defeated Chippa United 4-1 at the Athlone Stadium on Monday night to scoot back to the summit of the log standings.
As it stands, in what is a five-horse race for the PSL title, City are top with 42 points, followed by Wits on 41, Kaizer Chiefs on 39, SuperSport United on 37 and Mamelodi Sundowns on 34.
But the night belonged to Jayiya, who scored three goals in just 15 minutes – certainly a most astounding feat. The right-winger’s appetite for goals and desire to get involved were hugely impressive, to say the least.
As far as performances for City were concerned, in addition to Jayiya, there were also some really fine contributions from Aubrey Ngoma, Lebogang Manyama, Roland Putsche and that superb, dynamic right-back Thamsanqa Mkhize.
If perhaps, like the fable of Rip van Winkle, you’d nodded off a while, woken up, and were now suddenly wondering what all the fuss about City was all about. Well, the answer was abundantly evident in the opening 20 minutes of the match when the Capetonians blew Chippa away with the sheer pace and audacity of their attacking play. After just 15 minutes, it was 3-0, with Jayiya making a mark by netting a sensational hat-trick.
City were in the ascendancy right from the opening whistle and they just never allowed the Port Elizabeth-based visitors to get back into it. The Cape side pressured the opposition high, forced them to turn the ball over, and then clinically capitalised on their uncertainty in defence.
With three minutes gone, Ebrahim Seedat’s brilliant run and cross resulted in Jayiya directing a header over the bar. But three minutes later, Jayiya made no mistake when he out-muscled Chippa’s Paseka Mako, strode in goal and thundered an unstoppable shot beyond goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.
In the 12th minute it was 2-0 when some brilliant approach work from irrepressible duo Ngoma and Manyama fashioned an opening for Jayiya to stab in his second on the night. And, just three minutes later, Jayiya completed the fantastic achievement of a 15-minute treble when he headed home from close in.
City then had a bit of setback when influential midfield strong man Mpho Matsi succumbed to injury in the 18thminute and was replaced by Given Mashikinya. But it certainly never deterred the Cape side in any way as they continued to create chances at will.
Manyama produced a lovely piece of skill and hoofed a ferocious shot at goal, but Akpeyi was equal to the task, pulling off a real world class stop to deny the City captain.
But on the stroke of half-time, it was 4-0 when Ngoma’s trickery, again, proved too much for the Chippa defence and his cut-back saw right-back Mkhize score his first goal for the Cape club.
With City in such a commanding lead, they were able to hit cruise mode in the second half. For the most, they allowed Chippa to have the ball in non-threatening areas, while they kept shape and pounced on the opposition’s mistakes.
On the counter, City could have had a few more, but Akpeyi, despite his team being 4-0 down, was having a good night in goal. And, as a reward for never giving up, the PE team managed to get a consolation goal through substitute Rhulani Manzini.
To compound a horrible night for Chippa, they had Lerato Manzini sent off just before the close.