Bidvest Wits might have had a flier start in 2018-19 but SuperSport United showed they too have intentions of returning as a force in the Absa Premiership, inflicting the Clever Boys' first defeat, 1-0, at Bidvest Stadium last night.
Evans Rusike's beautifully executed 72nd-minute strike separated the teams.
The two "corporations" of the PSL largely cancelled each other out, Wits edging the first half and SuperSport the second, with chances hard to come by from two teams organised like a boardroom meeting.
Both teams had beaten Orlando Pirates in their previous match.
A strong, icy wind swept Bidvest Stadium. In these conditions, two teams attuned to playing at a high tempo anyway had little reservation sprinting at each other, even just to keep warm.The result might not have been the most composed football, but it was interesting.
Interesting from the point of watching the new Wits, with their big, boxing backline and fast, younger frontline, edge a more than competent SuperSport in the first half.
After the half-hour Ronwen Williams had to one-handedly punch out Deon Hotto's swerving cross, only as far as lively Domingo, who scythed a volley just over.
For all Wits' industry, it was SuperSport who almost opened the scoring when, from Maphosa Modiba's corner, had Bongani Khumalo's header been either side of Darren Keet it would have been a goal.
SuperSport came out with a tweaked game plan that pressed Wits back.
It still took hard work for United to break Wits down. Then Rusike struck like a cobra.
Left-back Onismor Bhasera's cross took a big deflection off Thulani Hlatshwayo to loop in the direction of Rusike with his back to goal. The Zimbabwean's turn and scissor volley was executed with the quickness of a flick-knife and struck with venom to leave Keet rooted to the spot.
Bidvest Wits(0) 0
SuperSport United (0) 1
GOAL: Evans Rusike (72m)..