SuperSport United missed out on a morale boosting victory ahead of Saturday’s African Confederation Cup encounter in Zambia as they let a lead slip and were held 1-1 at home by Chippa United in the Absa Premiership on Tuesday.
Chippa will be the happier with the result as new caretaker coach Tebeho Moloi secured a second successive draw since taking over from sacked Dan Malesela.
SuperSport, held goalless at home by Zesco United in the first leg on Friday, must now pick themselves up for the second leg in Ndola on the weekend where they have their backs to the wall after failing to score at home.
Coach Eric Tinkler rested regulars like Clayton Daniels, Bradley Grobler and Reneilwe Letsholonyane and gave a full debut to exciting young midfielder Sipho Mbule as the coach tinkered with the team ahead of the second leg of their quarter-final tie against Zesco United in Ndola.
It made no real difference to the home side’s dominance at the start of the game against the struggling outfit from Port Elizabeth as Kingstone Nkhatha and Morgan Gould might have scored first before Siyabonga Nhlapo put SuperSport in the lead in the 28th minute.
A corner was cleared straight to Nhlapo in the penalty area and he hammered it home on the full volley for his first goal in five years.
Chippa, who drew 0-0 at Platinum Stars on Saturday, were largely on the back foot but when Mbule lost possession in the middle in the last minute of the first half, they quickly set about the counter attack with Kurt Lentjies delivering the cross, Mpho Mvelase heading the ball back to Moeketsi Sekola whose shot took a deflection on the way into the net.
Chippa came out of their shells and dominated the second half with the confidence from the goal but neither side were able to create any decent chances.
Indeed the only opportunity fell late in the game to SuperSport substitute Bradley Grobler, who blasted just wide in one of the few forays forward after the break by the hosts.
“It was tail of two halves,” said Tinkler. “Our intensity was simply not good enough. Our movement wasn’t great.”
- TimesLIVE
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