Supersport United finished the job they started last year of turning Orlando Pirates’ 80th anniversary party into a funeral rather than an occasion for celebration.
Matsatsantsa a Pitori – who smashed the Buccaneers 6-1 in November, causing the club to go on a chaotic downward spiral that saw Muhsin Ertugral resign on live TV after that loss – retained the Nedbank Cup by further stomping the Buccaneers’ corpse. This defeat didn’t sit well with some Pirates fans. A few of them invaded the pitch after United scored the third and fourth goals.
One of the fans, brandishing a vuvuzela, stormed the pitch and went straight to goalkeeper Siyabonga Mpontshane to give him a tongue-lashing while another went straight to the bench and asked the players what was happening. That’s a pertinent question that Pirates need to answer if they are to pick themselves out of this disastrous campaign.
Those ugly scenes didn’t spoil United’s party as they gave coach Stuart Baxter a good send-off by making him the first coach to win this trophy back-to-back in its current name. Baxter’s replacement Eric Tinkler watched from the stands as his new team booked their place in next year’s Caf Confederation Cup while still looking good to make the quarterfinals of the tournament this year.
This should make Tinkler eager to start the job next month because even though United ended the season in style, they still underachieved with the talent they have. The Tshwane side showed in glimpses what they can offer, going on a 19-match unbeaten run in the Premier Soccer League but falling away from the race with a month to spare.
Their biggest asset is how quickly they pick themselves up from disappointment. That was shown when striker Jeremy Brockie missed a penalty but made up for that by scoring seven minutes later. His goal was sandwiched by Bradley Grobler’s brace with Kingston Nkhatha making it four...