Holders SuperSport United deservedly advanced in the Nedbank Cup, denying Chippa United a place in the final with victory on penalties after a goalless draw after extra time at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium yesterday.
It keeps new Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter in his tenure at SuperSport with a second successive cup appearance as they await Lamontville Golden Arrows or Orlando Pirates in the final in Durban on June 24.
From the kick-off, SuperSport looked to stymie their hosts' preference for a passing game by employing a strong pressing game, forcing Chippa to punt forward, allowing the visitors to dictate the early exchanges with the bulk of possession.
story_article_left1
But it also left SuperSport vulnerable to counterattacks and after just six minutes Chippa had a chance that Andile Mbenyane wasted.
Thuso Phala's quick break midway through the first half offered SuperSport a chance but too many touches cost them an opportunity to test Daniel Akpeyi in the Chippa goal.
Sandile Zuke's tigerish tackling in the midfield forced an error out of Dean Furman in the 27th minute, allowing Chippa to set up another chance to score but Zuke's attempt to chip the ball over the on-rushing Ronwen Williams was disappointingly inaccurate.
Dan Malesela's irritation with his team's inability to dictate the game saw him take off midfield general Xolani Mdaki eight minutes before halftime and replace him with Siyabonga Ngubane.
The bruising battle continued through the second half with possession exchanged far too regularly between the two sides to make the game anything of a spectacle.
But Thuso Phala should have put SuperSport ahead in the 65th minute when Jeremy Brockie dragged back for him to shoot but he was wide.
In the shootout, Williams saved the first two Chippa efforts to ensure Clayton Daniels could deliver the winning strike.
| Chippa United | (0) | 0 |
| SuperSport United | (0) | 0 |
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 