Cape Town City vs SuperSport United – our predictions

Phakaaathi’s Jonty Mark and Khaya Ndubane give their views on who will win this one, and why.

Why Cape Town City will win

The rise and rise of Cape Town City could well continue this evening as they take on SuperSport United in what promises to be an epic MTN8 final.
Benni McCarthy took over from Eric Tinkler at the start of this season, while the club also lost their captain Lebogang Manyama, who jetted off for Turkey, but the results have continued to come, with McCarthy thus far proving himself as tactically astute as a coach, as he was a lethal finisher as a striker.
McCarthy stuck not one, not two, but three daggers in the heart of his former mentor Gavin Hunt, as City beat Wits in the league and in both legs of the MTN8 semifinal.
This perfectly illustrates that he is comfortable pitting his wits against a more experienced coach, as his opposite number will be in Durban tonight, in the form of SuperSport United coach Eric Tinkler.
Tinkler was, of course, head coach at City last season, and will no doubt hope to use his inside knowledge of the way the Cape side work to help engineer a win for Matsatsantsa.
I just feel, however, that it is McCarthy who will get one over his former Bafana teammate. Both sides have squads packed with quality but I think in a tight game, it will be the likes of Teko Modise and Ayanda Patosi who shine, as City take a 2-1 win, exactly as they did, ironically, under Tinkler in the 2016 Telkom Knockout final against SuperSport.

Prediction: Cape Town City 2 SuperSport United 1

Why SuperSport will win

As a former Capetonian, it feels like betrayal betting against City, but it comes with the nature of this job where one has to call it like he sees it. I, like many neutrals, would love to see Benni McCarthy lifting this trophy, but I think SuperSport will edge City in this one. Thuso Phala and Jeremy Brockie have picked up form at the right time for SuperSport and I think they’ll cause a lot of problems for the Benni’s team today. Granted, City have done well so far this season, but their defence has been rather shaky at times and with SuperSport having a deadly striker like Brockie at their disposal, City cannot afford to make mistakes at the back. It is indeed a well known fact that City got the better of SuperSport in the Telkom Knockout last season, but people tend to forget that it was Eric Tinkler who masterminded that defeat and now Tinkler is with SuperSport. Benni’s lack of experience in cup finals and pressurised games could well count against him in this match. The former Bafana Bafana striker desperately wants to make name for himself in the local game, but he showed recently during the Cape derby that he cracks under pressure. In fact he is lucky to have not missed this final because the language he used in that game warranted a move to the stands. Be that as it may, I think SuperSport will edge City in this one and Tinkler will have his second trophy in two seasons.

Prediction: Cape Town City 1 SuperSport United 2