BY HERMAN GIBBS
Stellenbosch FC again showed they have the cup pedigree to match their burgeoning talent after they emphatically beat SuperSport United in their Nedbank Cup quarterfinal clash at the Danie Craven Stadium on Saturday.
After leading 1-0 at the break, the match ended as a contest as soon Stellenbosch knocked the stuffing out of SuperSport with three second-half goals in the space of 15 minutes.
The reigning Carling Knockout Cup champions became the second side to advance to the Nedbank semifinals after Mamelodi Sundowns beat AmaTuks on penalties on Friday night.
Coach Steve Barker says of his span: “It was a good team effort with every player contributing.
“The players had lots of confidence and belief. It’s off to another semifinal we go…”
With both teams showing enterprise in an effort to take early control, a succession of attacking sorties from Stellenbosch down their left flank prised open the SuperSport defence in the seventh minute.
SuperSport goalkeeper Ricardo Goss stopped an attack, but when he failed to hold on to the ball, Stellenbosch had two shots at goal before Ivory Coast international Anicet Oura netted from a tight angle.
SuperSport were knocked stone cold in the opening six minutes of the stanza when Stellenbosch scored twice.
First up was Devin Titus a minute after the restart. And the home fans had hardly stopped celebrating their side’s second goal when Player of the Match Andre de Jong added goal number three.
It was New Zealander De Jong’s third Nedbank Cup goal of this campaign.
While his fellow front-runners were all in on the scoring act, Iqraam Rayners was dead keen to get his name on the scoresheet and he finally made it 4-0 after fine interplay with De Jong.
Orlando Pirates, meanwhile, beat AmaZulu 4-2 and Chippa klapped TS Galaxy 2-0 in the other quarters.
Second-placed Stellies, who are on a 21-match unbeaten run since losing to Sundowns in September last year, next face Sekhukhune in the PSL on Wednesday.