The Telkom Knockout semi-finals took centre stage on the local football scene this weekend with more pain for Pirates. THABANG KGELEDI takes a look at the take-aways from a bumper weekend of action.
Trending Up: New boys Cape Town City advance to TKO final
Cape Town City won what proved to be a lopsided affair when Free State Stars visited the Mother City this weekend. The home team crushed the visitors 4 – 1 to continue their dream start to life in the Premiership.
The Citizens have made a dream start after businessman John Comitis purchased the franchise of Mpumalanga Black Aces. Eric Tinkler’s side are sitting second on the log, only behind Bidvest Wits on goal difference, and after a MTN8 semi-final run, they have now moved into the TKO 2016 final.
The City squad, made up of unknown foreign players and many players who were on the peripheral of their previous club’s first team, now appear to be a force to reckoned with. It is still early going in the season, we’ll just have to sit back and wait and see how far Tinkler (missing him yet Pirates fans?) can take his squad group of players …
Trending down: Orlando Pirates, FSS sent packing
Supersport United placed another dagger in Orlando Pirates supporter’s hearts when they came away with a second win in as many games, this time to reserve their place in the TKO final.
Pirates players and fans alike had been hoping to avenge the humiliating 6-1 defeat at the hands of Matsatsantsa but it wasn’t to be. There is something about Stuart Baxter’s teams that seem to perplex the Buccaneers because the Englishman remains unbeaten against them in all competitive games. Baxter’s sides are well organised and notoriously difficult to beat but Thabo Matlaba’s needless red card in the second half after attempting to crush Jeremy Brockie’s ankle didn’t help the cause and Augusto Palacious’ substitutions that raised eyebrows didn’t inspire confidence either.
This is the Peruvian caretaker coach’s first loss since he took over at the start of the month. This game, though, was his sternest test and he failed.
Free State Stars’ unlikely run in the Telkom Knockout has come to a predictable end. Nobody was really expecting them to go all the way but they should be applauded for making it this far. Now it is time to focus on what is most important and that is their status in the premier soccer league. Ea Lla Koto are languishing at the bottom of the Premiership log, the team is winless and has only managed to score a meagre five goals in their first ten league fixtures.
If there was a time to panic, that time would be now and Denis Lavagne needs to turn Stars fortunes around sooner rather than later for the sake of the supporters and his employment.
Photo: Samuel Shivambu/Backpagepix
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