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Pretoria - SuperSport United were crowned Absa Premiership champions on Wednesday night in Atteridgeville despite losing 2-1 to Bidvest Wits. It was a little ironic that the league was won with a loss, but after Mamelodi Sundowns failed to get a result against Jomo Cosmos, United were crowned champions for the third season in a row.
The first 45 minutes saw SuperSport completely dominate proceedings as they quickly settled into their passing rhythm. The Students, on the other hand, looked a little flustered and were found completely lacking in the midfield department.
The first real chance on goal for United, however, only came 16 minutes into the match when Daine Klate played a ball over the top of the Wits defence for Anthony Laffor to run onto. Laffor, after a struggle with his marker, managed to latch onto the ball and get a shot off but his effort went narrowly wide when he should have done better.
Still, despite their utter dominance of the match, United went behind in the 26th minute completely against the run of play.
Mark Haskins picked up the ball in the middle of the park and drove forward for Wits with some purpose for the first time in the game. Consequently, with nothing on, he let loose with a venomous shot that sailed past a sprawling Emille Baron in the United goal. The keeper could do nothing but watch the ball sail past him, 1-0.
Thereafter, the champions applied even more pressure on the Wits goal and it was only a matter of when they would equalise and not if.
Initially in the 32nd minute Brian Umony broke through on goal and only had the keeper to beat, but Francis Chansa spread himself well to deny the striker. But the keeper failed to completely clear the danger as the ball fell to the left side of the 18 yard box. A cross then came in and Umony headed over a stranded Chansa, 1-1.
Umony came into his own in the latter stages of the half and almost found his side’s second goal in the 41st minute. The SuperSport striker pulled another great save out of Chansa when he dribbled his way into the box and fired a powerful shot goal-wards. The Wits keeper was at full stretch to turn his effort around the post for a corner.
Again, against the run of play, Wits had a chance to take the lead in injury time of the first half when Patrick Phungwayo picked out an unmarked Fabricio Rodrigues on the edge of the six yard box. Rodrigues, however, squandered the golden opportunity by heading over the crossbar.
The second 45 minutes quickly settled in a similar rhythm to that of the first, with SuperSport dictating the terms of play. But much like the first half United could not capitalise on all their pressure and again Wits went into the lead against the run of play in the 68th minute.
The goal came after Rodrigues attacked down the left flank and supplied an inch perfect cross for Calvin Kadi to meet. The United defence seemed to go to sleep as Kadi side-footed the ball home from only a couple of yards out, 2-1.
United tried to fight their way back into the game but the stubborn defence of the Students stood strong as the game ended 2-1 in favour of Wits.
And although SuperSport will be disappointed with the loss, they still walked away PSL league title winners for the third year in a row following Mamelodi Sundowns’ 2-0 defeat at the hands of relegation-bound Jomo Cosmos.
SuperSport United (1) 1 (Umony 33’)
Bidvest Wits (1) 2 (Haskins 26’, Kadi 68’)
United:
Baron; September, Gould, Khumalo, Katza; Maluleke (Mongalo 71’), Carelse, Ntshumayelo, Klate (Langerman 76’); Umony (Monteiro 83’), Laffor
Wits:
Chansa; Mdluli, Batabaire, Mashamaite, Phungwayo; Myeni, Haskins (Mngomeni 88’), Radebe (Morton 67’), Rodrigues (Sibande 78’); Kadi, Vilakazi.
The first 45 minutes saw SuperSport completely dominate proceedings as they quickly settled into their passing rhythm. The Students, on the other hand, looked a little flustered and were found completely lacking in the midfield department.
The first real chance on goal for United, however, only came 16 minutes into the match when Daine Klate played a ball over the top of the Wits defence for Anthony Laffor to run onto. Laffor, after a struggle with his marker, managed to latch onto the ball and get a shot off but his effort went narrowly wide when he should have done better.
Still, despite their utter dominance of the match, United went behind in the 26th minute completely against the run of play.
Mark Haskins picked up the ball in the middle of the park and drove forward for Wits with some purpose for the first time in the game. Consequently, with nothing on, he let loose with a venomous shot that sailed past a sprawling Emille Baron in the United goal. The keeper could do nothing but watch the ball sail past him, 1-0.
Thereafter, the champions applied even more pressure on the Wits goal and it was only a matter of when they would equalise and not if.
Initially in the 32nd minute Brian Umony broke through on goal and only had the keeper to beat, but Francis Chansa spread himself well to deny the striker. But the keeper failed to completely clear the danger as the ball fell to the left side of the 18 yard box. A cross then came in and Umony headed over a stranded Chansa, 1-1.
Umony came into his own in the latter stages of the half and almost found his side’s second goal in the 41st minute. The SuperSport striker pulled another great save out of Chansa when he dribbled his way into the box and fired a powerful shot goal-wards. The Wits keeper was at full stretch to turn his effort around the post for a corner.
Again, against the run of play, Wits had a chance to take the lead in injury time of the first half when Patrick Phungwayo picked out an unmarked Fabricio Rodrigues on the edge of the six yard box. Rodrigues, however, squandered the golden opportunity by heading over the crossbar.
The second 45 minutes quickly settled in a similar rhythm to that of the first, with SuperSport dictating the terms of play. But much like the first half United could not capitalise on all their pressure and again Wits went into the lead against the run of play in the 68th minute.
The goal came after Rodrigues attacked down the left flank and supplied an inch perfect cross for Calvin Kadi to meet. The United defence seemed to go to sleep as Kadi side-footed the ball home from only a couple of yards out, 2-1.
United tried to fight their way back into the game but the stubborn defence of the Students stood strong as the game ended 2-1 in favour of Wits.
And although SuperSport will be disappointed with the loss, they still walked away PSL league title winners for the third year in a row following Mamelodi Sundowns’ 2-0 defeat at the hands of relegation-bound Jomo Cosmos.
SuperSport United (1) 1 (Umony 33’)
Bidvest Wits (1) 2 (Haskins 26’, Kadi 68’)
United:
Baron; September, Gould, Khumalo, Katza; Maluleke (Mongalo 71’), Carelse, Ntshumayelo, Klate (Langerman 76’); Umony (Monteiro 83’), Laffor
Wits:
Chansa; Mdluli, Batabaire, Mashamaite, Phungwayo; Myeni, Haskins (Mngomeni 88’), Radebe (Morton 67’), Rodrigues (Sibande 78’); Kadi, Vilakazi.
