Lebohang Maboe of SuperSport United celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Cape Town Spurs. Picture: Muzi Ntombela, BackpagePix
Lebohang Maboe was the hero for SuperSport United after scoring deep in extra time to help his side reach the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday night.
SuperSport beat Cape Town Spurs 2-1 in the last 16 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, ensuring they continue with their chase for a piece of silverware this season.
While the journey continued for SuperSport in the Ke Yona Cup, it ended for Spurs, who’ll perhaps feel that this was a blessing in disguise.
Ime's first goal for Matsatsantsa ✅🙌
— SuperSport United FC (@SuperSportFC) February 13, 2025
Lebza's first goal for Matsatsantsa ✅👌#NedbankCup2025 highlights: SuperSport United 2-1 Cape Town Spurs 📲🔥#MatsatsantsaUnified pic.twitter.com/wDwyPDgTwi
The Urban Warriors need to quickly focus on the league as they are sitting on the relegation zone in 15th spot after the 18 rounds of matches in the National First Division.
Their coach Ernst Middendorp watched from the stands in Pretoria on Wednesday night as he served a one-game suspension, after getting four yellow cards in domestic football.
It was, however, the Cape side who burst into an early lead in the fifth minute, courtesy of a well-taken goal by Therlo Moosa.
The Spurs winger did well to outrun SuperSport’s marker down the flank, before cutting inside the box to fire his effort inside Ricardo Goss’ near post.
That goal forced SuperSport to come out and play, and wing-backs Nyiko Mobbie and Aphiwe Baliti sent a flurry of crosses from the flanks, but they were dealt with by Neil Boshoff.
The Spurs’ goalkeeper would make his first real save on the night when he tipped Baliti’s set-piece from close-range over the crossbar.
Boshoff dropped the resultant corner, resulting in another set-piece. Baliti was on hand to whip in a delightful cross, which was met by the head of Mobbie.
Mobbie’s goal-bound header was exceptionally parried away by a diving Boshoff as SuperSport threw the kitchen sink at the hosts in search of an equaliser.
SuperSport’s hard work was rewarded in the 36th minute when Ime Okon fired a bullet shot from close-range into the roof of the net after Spurs failed to clear their lines.
Such was Gavin Hunt’s unhappiness with his team’s performance before that goal that he and his technical team didn’t celebrate the strike at all.
With the match deadlocked at 1-1 during the break, the two teams had to take the game to each other in the second half.
SuperSport continued to dominate the lion’s share of possession, but they didn’t turn that into an advantage as Samir Nurkovic put his header wide of the target after Baliti’s cross.
Mobbie drew out another brilliant save from Boshoff after he unleashed a thunderbolt from close-range after being teed up by Pogiso Sanoka.
The experience of Daylon Claasen did well to stabilise the engine room for Spurs as SuperSport huffed and puffed for the lead in regulation time, but without any success.
The hosts were unlucky not to take the lead in the first half of extra time as Christian Saile’s shot took a deflection off Terrence Dzvukamanja, before striking the upright and rolling to safety.
Moosa also had another chance to give Spurs the edge just before the break, but he fluffed his opportunity, putting it into the stands instead.
However, just when the game looked to be headed for a penalty shoot-out, Maboe chipped in with a thunderous strike that sent Matsantsantsa a Pitori to the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.
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