For a second successive year penalties settled the MTN8, but this time Cape Town City won yesterday’s final.
Giant goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh made two saves in the shootout as Thabo Nodada converted the winning kick.
City dominated a limp SuperSport but could not finish the game in two hours of leg-sapping action.
They twice hit the woodwork and should have won comfortably in 90 minutes.
The game started well with a busy first half but a pedestrian second half as caution seemed to be the watchword, particularly from an uninspired-looking SuperSport,who approached the game with more circumspection than their opponents.
City were prepared to run and take the ball down the flanks but fluffed their lines at the crucial moments.
They might have been awarded a penalty after 21 minutes when SuperSport centreback Clayton Daniels looked to have handled the ball as he slid in to try and block Thamsanqa Mkhize’s cross, but referee Eketsang Setloboko did not look like he was going to make that big a call on such a stage.
Thabo Nodada hit the bottom of the post with a dipping shot just past the half hour
mark and the rebound got stuck in Siphelele Mthembu ’s feet when a quicker thinking striker would have snapped up the chance with goalkeeper Ronwen Williams still scrambling to get into place.
A minute later Roland Putsche ghosted late into the SuperSport box to meet Edmilson’s quality cross from left but put his headed effort wide. And two minutes after that Ayanda Patosi should have converted from close range but went wide after a breakaway one-two with Gift Links.
Soon after the break Links provided another counterattack cross that hung for Craig Martin to head towards goal but it went over the crossbar.
Edmilson was fed by Patosi for another City chance in the 56th minute with the Mozambican fullback cutting inside and hitting his shot with his weaker right foot, forcing Williams into a good save.
The game had gone quiet by the time City conjured up their best chance in the 86th minute, with Links swinging his foot across a bobbling cross from Edmilson, the shot from the teenager striking the crossbar.
Near the end of extra time, Riyaad Norodien’s dipping free kick also came close for City, though by then they looked resigned to the fact the game was headed to penalties.
At the other end, and early on in the game, Fagrie Lakay twice caught the City defenders for pace and could have set up two first-half opportunities.
SuperSport also did test City goalkeeper Peter Leeuwenburgh when Putsche cleared straight at Evans Rusike, who took the ball off his chest, advanced a few metres and then shot at goal, forcing the tall goalkeeper into a diving save.
Lakay had to go off before the break with a hamstring injury and with him went a lot of SuperSport’s attacking initiative as they made little contribution to the game through two hours of action.
It was a first title for Benni McCarthy as a coach and a second in three years for the franchise from the Mother City.
Cape Town City 0
SuperSport United 0
GOALS: Cape Town City won 4-1 on penalties after extra time..