SuperSport United booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup with a 1-0 win over Platinum City Rovers on Saturday evening.
Result: Platinum City Rovers 0-1 SuperSport United
Date: 12 March 2022
Venue: Olen Park Stadium
Matsatsantsa made only one change, as youngster Selaelo Rasebotja was recalled while Sipho Mbule remained on the bench. City Rovers, meanwhile, had former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates midfielder Oupa Manyisa in the line-up.
The decision to include Rasebotja paid off instantly as the forward opened the scoring with a thumping strike in the box after Iqraam Rayners won a tussle for the ball inside the opening minute.
Kaitano Tembo's charges were holding City Rovers in their own half and Thamsanqa Gabuza came close to doubling their lead in the 22nd minute with a close-range header that came off the crossbar.
Matsatsantsa were finding spaces on transitions in the closing phase of the first stanza and they were awarded a penalty on the stroke of halftime after Aubrey Ngoma was brought down in the box but Gabuza's spot-kick was saved by Mabitsela.
The GladAfrica Championship side were better organised coming from the half-time break, as they denied SuperSport time and space on the ball but they did not have the cutting-edge upfront.
Matsatsantsa were playing on counter-attacks and Tembo was already managing the game in the last 22 minutes, as he brought on defender Onismor Bhasera in place of attacker Ngoma.
City Rovers had a sense of urgency going forward in the closing stages but they were kept at bay by the reinforced United defence and Ghampani Lungu was denied by Mabitsela in stoppages in a clear-cut chances, as Matsatsantsa held on to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
City Rovers: 1. Mabitsela, 3. Sebego, 42. Mashele, 30. Mofokeng, 25. Shaku, 50. Vilakazi, 24. Mojela, 90. Manyisa, 26. Wagaba, 8. Banyane, 15. Ndlovu.
Subs: 40. Nkumane, 29. Ntlaba, 10. Radebe, 14. Mokwana, 6. Letlhake, 20. Madonsela, 35. Sangweni, 33. Sodi, 4. Malefetse
SuperSport: 30. Williams, 27. Phillips, 37. Johannes, 6. Ditlhokwe, 2. Ngobeni, 24. Ngoma, 35. Raebotja, 26. Donn, 9. Rayners, 13. Gabuza.
Subs: 31. Pule, 18. Nhalpo, 25. Fleurs, 14. Bhasera, 5. Soumahoro, 10. Mbule, 23. Waiswa, 22. Manziba, 21. Maziko
