Cape Town City down SuperSport to win Telkom Knockout final

When the year 2016 eventually comes to an end in 20 days time, hopefully it will carry over its capacity to surprise to the following year.

When teams like Cape Town City come out of nowhere to win their first trophy without even being six months old, it speaks of a year where the formbook belongs in the rubbish bin.

The 2016 Telkom Knockout Cup is theirs, capping a wonderful cup run where they were clearly the best in all the matches they have won.

What cannot be doubted was that Cape Town City were deserved winners. They had their plans and all of them were executed perfectly. Man of the match Aubrey Ngoma was at the heart of it all.

All it needed was one mistake and it came from left-back Onismor Bhasera, who carelessly passed the ball away in midfield when he tried to pick out a heavily marked Thuso Phala.

The ball was easily snaffled and Ngoma was there to slot the ball in past Reyaad Pieterse in what was a superb finish.

It was a well-earned lead as Eric Tinkler's side made all the early running and had the pace to worry SuperSport's experienced but immobile defence.

If there is a side that could harm SuperSport with their pace and ingenuity, it was the newly-found Cape side. Most sides battle to live with Ngoma and Bhongolethu Jayiya and that was the case with Stuart Baxter's side.

If Cape Town City were able to capitalise on the chances they had in the first half, they could have sealed the tie. Pieterse did well to thwart Sibusiso Masina in the 30th minute after Clayton Daniels fluffed a Ngoma cross while Jayiya should have done better with his 44th minute header as SuperSport's tall defensive timbers were found wanting.

The tempo increased in the second half as SuperSport United searched for the equaliser while Cape Town City searched for the killer goal. In the prelude to the goals scored by either side in the 71st and 73rd minutes, they traded blows like inexperienced boxers. Thabo Mnyamane (51st), Kingston Nkhatha (65th) and Morgan Gould (66th) tested Shuaib Walters while Aubrey Ngoma (62nd) and Lebogang Manyama (64th) asked questions of Pieterse's skill.

Cape Town City blinked first when Nkatha equalised from close range after the ball fortuitously found its way to him from a Phala corner via Gould and Daniels.

City's response was swift and decisive. Manyama's initial pass was met by Ngoma, whose cross collided with Judas Moseamedi's head before floating past the helpless Walters. It was the cup winning goal.