PRETORIA – SuperSport United are through to the quarterfinals of the Nedbank Cup after defeating the University of Pretoria 4-2 on penalties at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Tuesday night. The last -6 tie ended 3-3 after 120 minutes of play.
SuperSport got into gear early on when Thato Mokeke created a chance for Dove Wome in the eighth minute, but the Togolese midfielder smashed his shot wide. Any thoughts of the Pretoria club dominating were quickly dispelled when Tuks took the lead four minutes later after a fine effort from Thabo Nemukondeni.
SuperSport United have advanced to the Last 8 after defeating AmaTuks 4-2 in a penalty shoutout. #NedbankCup pic.twitter.com/WFgTotcv3Y
— M-Sports Marketing (@M_SportsSA) April 5, 2016
SuperSport, though, weren’t about to let the goal get them down. They continued to press and, gradually, got things going. In the 26th minute, after some great interplay that involved Mokeke, Bradley Grobler and Jeremie Brockie, the opportunity fell to Michael Morton, who made no mistake with the equaliser. Three minutes later, New Zealander Brockie should have given SuperSport the lead, but he steered his attempt narrowly wide.
Shout out to Michael Morton for winning the man of the match award
Send him your messages…#NedbankCup https://t.co/KCHAFvRhIT
— SuperSport United FC (@SuperSportFC) April 5, 2016
Tuks, however, continued to do their best work on the counter – and they were unfortunate when, a few minutes before the halftime break, a great run and shot from the impressive Nemukondeni flashed wide.
And the university side, in no way cowed by the opposition’s ostensible superior status in the PSL, then proceeded to take the game to them in the second half.
Tuks’s Lennnox Bacela set up a chance in the 52nd minute, which Ian Chikohwa gleefully pounced on to give the underdogs a 2-1 lead. Chikohwa then followed it up with a dangerous cross, and the unfortunate SuperSport defender, Grant Kekana, slammed the ball into his own net.
53' Chikohwa neatly puts the ball away to restore AmaTuks lead #nedbankcup
— SuperSport United FC (@SuperSportFC) April 5, 2016
Shocked by the manner in which the game had gotten away from them, SuperSport rallied back bravely. Clayton Daniels drilled a shot over the bar before, in the 73rd minute, Brockie reduced the deficit to 3-2 with a good finish. The Pretoria team then piled on the pressure and, in the 84th minute, after a goal-mouth scramble, Morton produced the assist for substitute Morne Nel to stab in the equaliser.
And 3-3 is the way it stayed at the end of 90 minutes, and the game headed into extra-time and the subsequent penalty shoot-out.
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