Don’t be surprised by the fact that SuperSport United mesmerised Kaizer Chiefs in a vibrant Premier Soccer League (PSL) showpiece at Loftus on Saturday night and humbled Amakhosi on the eve of the club’s 37th birthday with a comprehensive 2-0 victory.
The truth of the matter is that this type of phenomenon seems to happen all of the time, with Chiefs having mustered only one Premier League victory over the M-Net-owned team since the 1998 season.
For whatever reason, SuperSport make a habit of mustering their best form for matches against Chiefs, and this one was no exception.
A stunning headed goal by new defensive signing George Mofokeng in the 20th minute and an even more sensational one from the returning Katlego Mphela in the 65th minute sealed Chiefs’ fate and dealt them a crushing setback in the championship title race, with Amakhosi now trailing log leaders Silver Stars by four points from one extra fixture.
Mphela, who played for SuperSport last season on loan from French club Strasbourg, is now back as a fully fledged team member and celebrated his return with a rocket-like 25m goal that left even a goalkeeper of the calibre of Bafana Bafana’s Rowen Fernandez rooted at the near post as though mesmerised by a guided missile.
It was Fernandez, however, who brought off an astonishing point-blank save from James Chamanga in the 42nd minute when the Zambian international seemed certain to increase SuperSport’s lead.
And SuperSport would not have been flattered with a 3-0 lead at the interval, with Katlego Mashego producing a bag of deft tricks in the 31st minute to leave the Chiefs’ defence at sixes and sevens.
But with the goal at his mercy after the deft exhibition of deceptive dribbling, Mashego shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Chiefs fought resolutely, but without any great imagination, to turn the tide and Kaizer Motaung Jnr had two golden opportunities to score.
But the disciplined SuperSport defence performed with unflagging resolution and the work-rate of the entire team contributed in no small measure to a win that restores the team to a challenging position among the eight teams who are vying strongly for the PSL title.
While crediting SuperSport for ”a deserved victory” in his usual articulate and unbiased manner, Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp said he believed the course of the game had been stamped indelibly as the 10th minute when former Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett was injured and left the field with what appeared a serious knee injury.
”Bartlett would have shadowed Mofokeng when Mashego centred the ball for the opening goal,” added the Chiefs’ coach, ”and generally, he has been an important influence during our run of five victories from six matches.”
The game was a triumph for under-pressure SuperSport coach Pitso Mosimane, who was forced to sit out the tense and energising proceedings in the stands because of a two-month suspension. But It was equally a triumph for the on-the-field director of operations and assistant coach Thomas Madigage, who handled the occasion well. — Sapa