CAPE TOWN – A polished display from SuperSport United at the Bidvest Stadium on Sunday afternoon saw them running out 3-0 winners over Bidvest Wits in an MTN8 quarterfinal.
All the goals came in the second half, with Bradley Grobler netting the opener – to make it three from his last two matches – before Thamsanqa Gabuza scored a late brace, his first goals for Matsatsantsa since arriving from Orlando Pirates.
With both teams adopting a cautious approach, the first half failed to bring much in the way of goal scoring chances with the bulk of the play confined to the midfield region.
SuperSport were to have the first effort on goal when Grobler arrived at the near post to get on the end of an Evans Rusike cross, but he was unable to get his shot on target.
The only other real opportunity of a tight first half came in the 26th minute when Terrence Dzvukamanja ran in on goal, but as he pulled the trigger, SuperSport defender Siyabonga Nhlapo came flying in to make a brilliant and probably goal-saving block.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTN8?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTN8 #ForeverUnited🔥 pic.twitter.com/E3Rc6QjOE6
— SuperSport United FC (@SuperSportFC)
Sipho Mbule had been having an excellent afternoon for the Tshwane team, and he was to prove the catalyst in breaking the deadlock. He collected the ball near the halfway line in the 57th minute, and surged forwards before unleashing a shot which struck the legs of Wits defender Thulani Hlatshwayo and fell kindly for Grobler to apply the finishing touch.
The lead was doubled in the 64th minute when Gabuza came storming in to emphatically head home a pin-point cross from Nhlapo.
There was never any threat of Wits mounting a comeback; instead it was SuperSport who continued to look for another goal.
That was to arrive in the 88th minute – via a Gabuza penalty kick, after Zitha Macheke had clumsily brought down substitute Kudakwashe Mahachi inside the box.
The win completed a superb week for head coach Kaitano Tembo and his Matsatsantsa side, after their 3-0 league victory over Pirates on Wednesday.
The semi-final draw took place after the match and saw SuperSport United paired with neighbours Mamelodi Sundowns, while Polokwane City and Highlands Park will meet in the other, two-legged semifinal.