Where the MTN8 final will be won or lost – five key elements

The repeat of last year’s MTN8 final between cup holders SuperSport United and Cape Town City at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday is proving hard to predict.

Both Benni McCarthy of City and Kaitano Tembo of SuperSport will be gunning for their first trophy as head coaches‚ although McCarthy should be a lot wiser after being outsmarted by a United led by Eric Tinkler last season.

Below we list the five key elements likely to decide this final on Saturday.

1. United's cup pedigree versus City’s

Such is SuperSport’s dominance in cup competitions in the PSL in the past 10 years that they now carry the tag of being cup specialists. The Pretoria team have won three Nedbank Cup trophies in 2012‚ 2016 and 2017; a Telkom Knockout in 2014; and the MTN8 last year.

City‚ a team founded at the beginning of 2016-2017‚ have done really well to win the Telkom Knockout in 2016 and being losing finalists in the MTN8 in 2017.

So a third final appearance in three years is quite commendable for City‚ but such is United’s pedigree in cup competitions that you can only rule them out at your own peril.

2. Penalties and the goalkeepers’ influence

The goalkeeper’s ability to save penalties is always a vital element for any team gunning for a trophy.

Both Ronwen Williams and Peter Leeuwenburgh have had to help their teams by saving penalties (Williams against Orlando Pirates and Leeuwenburgh against Mamelodi Sundowns) on their march to the final. But it is United’s Williams who will be more confident if the game goes to penalties on Saturday.

Williams saved Lyle Lakay and Judas Moseamedi’s penalties when SuperSport won the trophy 4-2 in Durban last year and will be keen to do same this time around should the situation demand.

3. The Bradley Grobler effect

Grobler comes to this final on top of goal scorers’ chart in the MTN8 with the three goals he scored against Kaizer Chiefs – including a brace – over the two legs of the semifinals. He’s the man to mark but will always find space as SuperSport have another lethal striker in Evans Rusike that City have to worry about.

To have a striker with Grobler’s ability and confidence in scoring is a huge plus for Tembo’s team. City will do well to cut the supply to Grobler because once he has the ball and space he’s due to punish someone.

4. Ayanda Patosi’s hunger

Patosi has shown in many ways how desperate he is to play in this cup final after missing out as an unused substitute last year. City’s No.10 has already said he’s 150% confident that the trophy will go to his home town‚ Cape Town‚ on Saturday.

Patosi’s brace in a league match against Orlando Pirates last week was a perfect way to show how hungry he is to help his club win this trophy.

What’s even more helpful about Patosi is his ability to score goals in set pieces‚ something that McCarthy may include in his strategies going to this match.

5. Thabo Nodada and Roland Putsche versus Reneilwe Letsholonyane and Teboho Mokoena

When pundits say the match is won and lost in midfield‚ they’re so right. This is where the combination of Thabo Nodada and his Austrian counterpart Roland Putsche will have to prove itself against the experience of Reneilwe Letsholonyane‚ who has a perfect partner in the young and industrious Teboho Mokoena.

One of these combinations is likely to decide the match with either the passes they deliver to the forwards or tackles they will put in trying to cut out the danger in front of their defence.