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Johannesburg - Pretoria University’s love affair with the Nedbank Cup continued when they edged out defensive Jomo Cosmos 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the teams were level 1-1 after extra time in a scrappy second round clash played at the Rand Stadium on Sunday.
Tuks, last season’s runners up deserved to win as they were the better side on the day but were let down by poor finishing. However, their hero was goalkeeper Siya Mngoma who saved two penalties but made his side sweat when he took his side’s third penalty and saw it saved by Cosmos Avril Phali. However, he made up for that miss by making two fine saves in the penalty lottery.
Tukkies were in control in the first half and were able to adapt quicker to the slippery conditions of the pitch after two days of rain in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg.
Tuks showed far more initiative and hunger than Cosmos who sat back
and tried unsuccessfully to hit the Pretoria students on the break. Tuks Mhlonishwa Dlamini had his shot deflected over the Cosmos crossbar in the second minute as the visitors took the game to Ezenkosi from the kick-off.
Mngoma was wide awake three minutes later when he came off his line to stop Cosmos Mali born striker Sekou Camara getting in a shot on goal.
It was one of the rare moments that the goal shy Cosmos strike force threatened their visitors.
A well timed tackle from Cosmos defender Njabulo Ntusi prevented Tuks striker Phethego Maebela driving home the first goal from close range in the 19th minute.
Then the students midfielder Bafana Sibeko tried his luck with a 22 metre shot that sailed over the crossbar in the 23rd minute.
Cosmos skipper and veteran goalkeeper Phali showed his experience by stopping Mduduzi Makwakwa getting the breakthrough on 29 minutes with a fine save. Maebela wasted a great chance to score in the 34th minute when he hesitated in front of goal and was disposed.
The best chance for Tuks came two minutes later when Joseph Mthombeni headed Maebela’s shot fractionally wide of the target as Tuks piled on the pressure.
Makwakwa wasted a chance to score the opening goal in the 50th minute when he raced past two defenders only to fire his shot straight at Phali.
Makwakwa made amends when he put his side into the lead five minutes later form close range after he banged home the loose ball after Phali could only parry a powerful shot from Sibeko.
But despite holding the upper hand Tuks biggest weakness was their inability to finish off Cosmos when they had their opponents on the ropes.
They paid for that when Cosmos substitute Themba Maringa beat the offside trap and slotted past Mngoma to level the tie in the 75th minute. But there was a suspicion of handball when Maringa collected the ball inside the Tukkies half.
The students substitute Matthew Rusike brought out the best in Phali when the Cosmos keeper did brilliantly to palm away his goal bound shot in the 789th minute. Tuks nearly snatched it late into injury time but Thulani Notyhawe free kick flew centimetres wide of the Cosmos upright to take the match into extra time.
Tukkies should have made it 2-1 in the 98th minute when Maebela crossed to unmarked Dlamini. But the midfielder hung his head in horror after missing an open goal. It looked almost impossible to miss but somehow Dlamini managed to shoot well wide of the open goal when all he needed to do was tap the ball home.
Phali came to the rescue again with another brave save in the dying minutes of extra time when he blocked Rusike’s close range shot to take the cup-tie to penalties.
