Cape Town City keep title hopes alive with win over FS Stars

Judas Moseamedi scored a headed winner for Cape Town City as they kept their Absa Premiership title hopes alive with a 1-0 victory over struggling Free State Stars at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday.

The win leaves City two points behind leaders BidVest Wits, though they have played a game more and have just three matches remaining this season.

For Stars it is a fifth defeat in six matches and they remain outside of the relegation play-off position on goal-difference only from Baroka FC.

The victory was deserved for the home side, who created a host of chances, but were denied on the night by some excellent goalkeeping from visiting stopper Thela Ngobeni.

City coach Eric Tinkler kept a trio of attackers on the bench as Lehlohonolo Majoro, Sibusiso Masina and Bongi Jayiya all sat out, preferring instead to start with Letsie Koapeng and Moseamedi.
Stars made three changes from the side that lost 2-1 at home to Polokwane City last time out, with Katlego Mashego, Rooi Mahamutsa and Thabo Maphakisa in the starting line-up.

An entertaining first half saw City do most of the running and Koapeng was denied by Ngobeni after an excellent run from Lebogang Manyama.
Ngobeni then stretched out a leg to deny Aubrey Ngoma a goal, before the diminutive winger took too long to get his shot away after being played in by Moseamedi just before halftime.

It was more of the same in the second half, with Stars having to rely on half-chances on the break, and City pushing hard for the opening goal.

That finally arrived on 62 minutes when right-back Vincent Kobola got to the byline and supplied a cross that was headed home by the lively Moseamedi.

It should have been 2-0 just minutes later when Moseamedi turned provider for Ngoma again, but the winger’s goal-bound shot from 10-yards was brilliantly saved by Ngobeni.

Sinethemba Jantjie tested the palms of home goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters from a free-kick, but it was comfortable in the end for the gloveman, which was about as close as the visitors came in the game.