Self-proclaimed Premier Soccer League ”Cup Kings” Supersport United were shown the exit from the Telkom Knockout by an enterprising Black Leopards at Thohoyandou on Saturday afternoon as their hopes of securing the new competition’s record winners’ prize of R4,25-million bit the dust.
Standing head and shoulders above all others in Leopards’ thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory was diminutive Rudzani Ramadzuli, whose height belied his aerial prowess — with his second-half goals in the 50th and 80th minutes both materialising from precise headers.
It was Supersport, however, who opened the score almost too easily in the fifth minute when Tico Tico Bucuane rounded a flat-footed defence and placed the ball in the net through the goalkeeper’s legs.
The result of this early ascendancy seemed to have the effect on the Supersport players and officials of believing the game was set to become a piece of cake.
Instead, with Leopards appropriately hungrier, more inventive and full of running, the outcome turned out to be a bitter pill for the M-Net club to swallow.
Supersport players lay spread-eagled on the damp pitch after the final whistle and a few tears mingled with the drops of rain that fell in the latter portion of the game following a heavy deluge before the kick-off.
The conditions seemed to suit the lithe Leopards and the Supersport defence was repeatedly torn to shreds down both flanks, with only some superb saves from Ugandan international goalkeeper Dennis Onyango preventing an equaliser in the opening period.
But goals for Leopards were always imminent and the darting Ramaadzuli sent the crowd into ecstasy when he scored five minutes after the interval.
Supersport and interim Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane attempted to stem the tide by substituting ”hard man” Edward Williams for the more subtle and astute Maimane Phiri in the 60th minute.
But all the ploy achieved was to denude Supersport’s limited creativity and do nothing to seal the gaps in the defence.
For all this, Supersport missed a glorious opportunity of equalising at the death when defender James Mutola, who had earlier performed valiantly in preventing goals, somehow missed a headed opportunity from 5m when it seemed easier to score than miss.
Mosimane, however, had the good grace to concede afterwards that ”the better team won”. — Sapa