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Despite enjoying the better of the first half, SuperSport had to score a 46th minute goal to ensure they went into the break at 2-2, Santos having made the best of the few chances that came their way.
The hosts seemed up for it in the opening stages of the game as they put the visiting side’s defence under some pressure with Dipsy Selolwane testing Lee Langeveldt after four minutes.
And in the 12th minute Matsatsantsa’s energetic start was rewarded when they went in front, Laffor scoring.
The Liberian was put through on goal by Glen Salmon’s flick on and saw his first effort ricocheting off Langeveldt, allowing him to net into an empty goal.
But United went to sleep from the restart and the Peoples’ Team were level within a minute as Erwin Isaacs played a ball out wide to Jurie Basie, who played in a prefect cross for Isaacs to head home.
A minute later the Cape side could well have made it 2-1, but Vuyisile Wana headed wide after Isaacs’ cross.
Around the half hour mark it appeared as if the Pretoria side were about to wrestle the lead back as both Salmon and Ashley Hartog forced Langeveldt into making a couple of saves.
But a terrible mistake at the back by Morgan Gould after 34 minutes allowed Wana to run in on goal, beating Rowan Fernandez before rolling the ball home from an angle.
Santos though blew the chance to go into the break in front when Hartog threaded through Salmon just before half time, the striker finishing clinically from 14-yards out for his first goal of the season.
Both sides appeared more cautious after the restart with the result that the game lost a bit of its excitement.
All there was to show for goal-mouth action in the early minutes of the second stanza were a Salmon shot that was saved by Langeveldt and a Musa Otieno shot that skewed wide.
But there was reason for the home fans to celebrate when United scored a lovely team goal in the 65th minute, Laffor tapping home after a good combination with the unselfish Hartog.
Five minutes later Hartog completed his brace when he showed good strength to hustle his way past a couple of defenders before finishing from a tight angle, 4-2 to the defending champions.
The Tshwane side added icing to the cake in the 93rd minute when Laffor completed his hat-trick, sweeping the ball home after Fikru Teffera had struck the post.
SuperSport United (2) 5 (Laffor 12’, Salmon 45’ + 1,
Santos (2) 2 (Isaacs 13’, Wana 34’)
Tams:
SuperSport: (4-4-2) Fernandez; September, Booysen, Gould, Katza (Carnell 90’); Laffor, Gabonamong, Selolwane, Langerman (Teffera 70’); Hartog, Salmon (Nkoana 85’)
Santos: (4-4-2) Langevelt; Macala (Kefile 73’), W Arendse, Van Beulen, Skippers; Basie (Rodgers 39’), Otieno, Mafoko, Tsabedze (Roelf 58'); Isaacs, Wana
