Supersport aim to win MTN8 final and top the league

12 October 2017 - 06:51 By SAZI HADEBE and MARK GLEESON
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SuperSport United captain Dean Furman and John Chingandu of Zesco United during the CAF Confederations Cup match at Lucas Moripe Stadium on September 15, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa.
SuperSport United captain Dean Furman and John Chingandu of Zesco United during the CAF Confederations Cup match at Lucas Moripe Stadium on September 15, 2017 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Supersport United captain Dean Furman believes an MTN8 final victory over Cape Town City can set his team up for a challenge for the league title in 2017-2018.

Furman said he wanted to add the MTN8 winners' medal to his two Nedbank Cup trophies and believes his club has got the team to beat Cape Town City in the final at Moses Mabhida Stadium, in Durban, on Saturday night.

Supersport under Stuart Baxter, now the Bafana Bafana coach, destroyed Orlando Pirates 4-1 in last season's Nedbank Cup final in June.

That victory, though, came as a consolation for the Pretoria team after it fell short in the league title race, which was won by Bidvest Wits even though Supersport were top of the log at critical stages of the campaign.

Matsatsantsa eventually finished a disappointing fifth.

Furman said Supersport wanted a more sustained league challenge this season and a start with a trophy in the MTN8 would set the tone.

"As Supersport players we know that we're in this club to lift trophies. What a great opportunity we have on Saturday to do that within a few months after the start of the season," Furman said.

"Last season we just fell short in the league, but this time we want to change that.

"We were on top of the log for two-thirds of last season. That's what is motivating us this time around - we want to go all the way."

City's rookie coach, Benni McCarthy, said he was having headaches thinking about his team selection.

"I'm having difficulty choosing 18 players, let alone the 11 players who deserve to go on that pitch," McCarthy said in Cape Town on Wednesday.

His counterpart, Eric Tinkler, is counting on his central defensive partners, Morgan Gould and Clayton Daniels, to play a big role.

The duo gave a strong performance during the 3-1 World Cup qualifier victory against Burkina Faso at FNB Stadium at the weekend, and Tinkler is expecting more of the same from them.


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