Cape Town City head coach Benni McCarthy is happy with how his team bounced back from their MTN8 exit by drawing 1-1 with Mamelodi Sundowns at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday.
The defending MTN8 champions were dumped out of the competition by Polokwane City on Saturday as Mohamed Anas scored a brace to guide Rise and Shine to a 2-0 win and the semi-finals.
The Citizens, though, bounced back with a calculated performance against the Absa Premiership champions.
City managed to contain the Sundowns threat for large parts and only conceded as they went behind through a Hlompho Kekana screamer from long range.
McCarthy’s men, however, managed to fight back and equalised through another top-class strike – this time from City’s Edmilson Dove.
A big fight by the boys against the defending league champions away from home!
Brilliant attacking football at it’s from 2 teams that play no other way #iamCityFC pic.twitter.com/S9iY1uDKVZ
— Cape Town City FC (@CapeTownCityFC) August 20, 2019
Speaking post-game McCarthy praised his side’s character, adding that he was happy to walk away with a point.
‘It is difficult to lift yourself up after such a bad performance, you know, to go out on the cup that you’re supposed to defend,’ McCarthy told SuperSport TV.
‘I asked the boys to pick themselves up. We had to come and show character and we did.
‘I mixed it up a bit. I went for Mobara and Mokeke, which is good defensively, but we were also able to keep the ball. We knew we had to be compact and let Sundowns play wide, because we know that Sundowns’ strength is through the middle,’ added the former Bafana Bafana international.
‘If we can restrict them from coming through the middle, then we got half a chance.
‘We had chances, more clear-cut chances than them to kill the game. But you know what, if you can come to Atteridgeville and do what we did today and get a point … we’ll take it.’
