Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy’s threat to cut short his players’ holidays following their poor first half clearly played a crucial role in their turnaround at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, writes DYLAN APPOLIS.

The Citizens came from two goals down to secure a famous 3-2 victory over Bloemfontein Celtic in the final Absa Premiership game of 2018.  A goal from Siphelele Mthembu and a brace from Surprise Ralani cancelled out goals by Ndumiso Mabena and Given Mashikinya.

The win sees City move up to eighth place on the Absa Premiership standings with 20 points after 14 matches played so far this season.

‘I threatened to cut short the holidays unless they change their attitude‚’ McCarthy told the media.

‘You can imagine what my team talk was like at half-time.’

‘I ain’t scared of anybody in that dressing room and I gave it to them. I told them what they probably needed to hear.

‘They started then to do what they had been supposed to do from the first minute of the game.

‘We started to play according to our plan and began to eliminate Celtic‚ who are a good ball-playing team. We came out the way we were supposed to,’ he concluded.