SuperSport edge rivals Tuks, go second
SuperSport United beat cross-town rivals University of Pretoria 1-0 in an Absa Premiership encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Friday evening.
Lebogang Manyama’s first goal for the club helped Matsatsantsa into second place on the log in stormy conditions in Atteridgeville.
United are 10 points behind pacesetters Kaizer Chiefs, who beat Moroka Swallows 2-0 in Dobsonville.
SuperSport United made three changes to the side that lost to AmaZulu in midweek. Dino Ndlovu and youngster Dean Brandon made their full debuts for the club, while Sameehg Doutie recovered from injury to retake his place in the starting XI.
Thato Mokeke, who joined Matsatsantsa from Ajax Cape Town on deadline day, was named among the substitutes.
Meanwhile, AmaTuks coach Steve Barker included two debutants in his starting XI. Youngster Thabo Mnyamane partnered Geofrey Massa in attack, while loanee Raymond Monama started in midfield.
Both mentors named attacking starting XIs as they went in search of all three points at a wet Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Both sides looked threatening early on, but it was the hosts who opened the scoring through Lebogang Manyama in the ninth minute.
Skhumbuzo Mazibuko did some good work down the left flank before playing a precise ball into the area, Manyama lost his marker before nodding in from close range, 1-0.
The two rivals continued to press forward as the half grew both but both were struggling to come to terms with the weather conditions, which seemed to deteriorate as the night went on.
Neither side was able to alter the score line before the interval despite their best efforts.
SuperSport United 1-0 AmaTuks at the break.
Tuks looked a better side after the interval as they went in search of the equaliser.
With the rain continuing to poor down, set-pieces were going to cause the opposition defence a lot of problems, and so it proved.
Geofrey Massa’s powerful free-kick just cleared Ronwen Williams’s crossbar in the 54th minute, before the Matsatsantsa shot stopper was saved by Mor Diouf after spilling the ball from a curling Charly Moussono-Moussono free-kick a few minutes later.
Aupa Moeketsi was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Ronald Ketjijere in the 67th minute.
Despite their one man disadvantage, SuperSport continued to create chances and went close through Dino Ndlovu in the 75th minute.
A long ball from deep found Washington Arubi in no-man’s land, Ndlovu pounced and looked certain to score, but AmaTuks skipper Tebogo Monyai made a superb covering tackle to deny the former Maccabi Haifa striker.
AmaTuks continued to press, with Bevan Fransman notably clearing a close range effort off the line in the dying minutes of the match.
AmaTuks remain in 10th spot on the log following the loss.
SuperSport United (1) 1 (Manyama 9’)
University of Pretoria 0
SuperSport United: Willams; Fransman, Diouf, Doutie, Mkhabela, Ndlovu (Niang 87’), Mmanyama, Nel, Moeketsi, Dean (Mokeke 77’), Mazibuko (Chenene 28’)
University of Pretoria: Arubi; Kekana, Matsi. Mkhwanazi, Moussono-Moussono, Ketjijere (Selolwane 84’), Monyai, Massa, Maruping (Zwane 72’), Mnyamane, Monama (Mosadi 60’)
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