SuperSport edge out Swallows

SuperSport United became one of the last teams to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Nedbank Cup by beating Moroka Swallows 1-0 at Dobsonvilla Stadium on Wednesday evening.

It was a rather dell affair that was delicately poised all the way until the second-half and it needed a goal from Thuso Phala to send the Mtsantsantsa through.

Jabu Mahlangu was handed his SuperSport United debut after joining the club on a free loan, while Sage Stephens returned to the starting eleven in place of Greg Etafia.

The SuperSport veteran nearly set up a goal with 60 seconds on the clock when he delicately chipped a ball towards Dino Ndlovu at the far post, but the striker failed to turn it on target.

The visitors were the ones owning the majority of the possession and Giorgi Nergadze tested Ronwen Williams with his set-piece, seeing the young goalkeeper spill the ball with his initial save.

Williams showed some strong hands later when he did well to hold onto Siyabonga Nomvethe’s powerful drive after a cut-in from the left flank in an exchange with Vuysile Wana.

The home side slowly started to creep their way back in the game and it saw Lefa Tsutsulupa swing in a long ball into the box, but it sailed out at the far post on the half hour.

SuperSport’s best chance of the half fell to Thuso Phala on 36 minutes.

The winger did brilliantly to turn on the ball before unleashing a powerful effort down the middle of the box, but unfortunately for him, his teammate Lebogang Manyama was in the way and it smacked him in the back.  

Edward Manqele was found guilty of wasting a goalscoring opportunity at the restart when he fired Tsutsulupa’s cross over the face of goal.

Lerato Chabangu and Bennet Chenene were both thrown on for their respective teams, as SuperSport went on to break the deadlock in the 68^th minute.

Thabo Moloi supplied a great cross from the right flank where Phala picked it up on the edge of the box and fired in an unstoppable bullet into the top corner of the net.

Zeka Marques then brought on Dikgang Mabalane and Felix Obada in hope of finding of a late equalizer, while Phala narrowly missed a chance of scoring his second goal with Stephens making a save off his line.

Moroka Swallows: (0) 0

SuperSport United: (0) 1 (Phala 68’)

Moroka Swallows: Stephens, Mapemba, Isaacs, Hendricks, Mokgothu, Mbekile, Nergadze, Tsutsulupa (Obada 79’), Wana (Mabalane 72’), Nomvete, Manqele (Chabangu 62’)

SuperSport United: Williams, Moloi, Fransman, Diouf, Khumalo, Gyimah, Mokeke, Phala, Manyama, Mahlangu (Chenene 62’), Ndlovu (Niang 59’)

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