If Jomo Cosmos want to stay in top-flight football, they will have to keep their fingers crossed that their Zambian striker Christopher Katongo stays fit.
Katongo proved a handful as he guided his visiting Cosmos side to a morale-boosting 3-0 victory over Supersport United in their Castle Premiership encounter at the Super Stadium in Atteridgeville on Wednesday evening.
Such was the impact of Katongo that the bulky striker netted as early as the second minute to give his side the lead. He was also instrumental in the sending-off of United defender Inusah Abass and midfielder Sipho Mngomezulu.
However, the writing was on the score board at half-time with Cosmos leading 2-0 after defender Andrew Rabutla towered above the hosts’ defence to score a second goal for Cosmos in the 17th minute.
United coach Pitso Mosimane had made the fatal miscalculation of fielding a second-string side, a clear under-estimation of his opposition who were lying second from the bottom before this encounter.
And even though Mosimane was resting his charges for his team’s crucial Coca-Cola Cup quarterfinal encounter against Santos in Cape Town on Saturday, it was evident that the hosts were just not up to it on the night.
At the same time, Mosimane will have a few uncomfortable, sleepless nights as his defence failed to make an impression, with Katongo being given acres of space to run riot.
Fortunately for United, Katongo’s teammates could not keep abreast with his pace either and many golden opportunities went begging for the visitors.
United were not completely outclassed, as they did try to breach the Cosmos defence from long range, but Cosmos goalkeeper Avril Phali was equal to that task and confidently stood his ground.
Phali’s line came under siege in the latter stages of the second half as United desperately pushed bodies behind the ball.
And after one of those failed attempts at scoring a goal, Anthony Laffor pushed through a lazy pass to Mamadou Diallo to bury the home side 3-0 in the 88th minute. — Sapa