Cape teams bomb out of Supa 8
16 August 2004
The two Cape Town-based PSL teams, Ajax Cape Town and Santos, failed to advance to the semifinals of the lucrative SAA Supa 8 competition at the weekend when they were knocked out by their Gauteng-based rivals Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United respectively.
Swallows dominate Urban Warriors
Lightning struck twice in the same place for Ajax Cape Town when they were thrashed 3-1 by Moroka Swallows at the Rand Stadium on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the SAA Supa 8.
Swallows completed the job they started last week in the Premiership opening game when they defeated the Cape Town-based team 3-0. The lanky Lungisani Ndlela was responsible for the Urban Warriors' misery, netting three times.
In Saturday's Supa 8 game, Gordon Igesund's charges scored first through Brent Carelse in the second minute, and this time around did well to keep Ndlela under check.
But this did not stop the Birds from
outplaying the unimpressive Ajax. The former Ajax captain, Alfred Phiri, who now plays for Swallows, was the main engineer behind the the downfall of his former team. Phiri marshalled the midfield with aplomb and made Ajax Cape Town look like minnows.
Swallows got the equaliser in the 36th minute when new Cecil Oersen's cross from the right found Edzai Kasinauyo in the penalty area, and Kasinauyo netted the ball home.
Kasinauyo scored again in the 69th minute when he fired in a spectacular strike after spotting Ajax keeper Innocent Mayoyo off his line. Alois Ngwerume netted the third for Swallows in the 78th, making the final score 3-1.
SuperSport sweat for victory
After an energy-sapping 120 minutes, Supersport United reached the semifinals of the competition when they beat Santos 5-3 in a penalty shootout at Loftus stadium in Pretoria on Sunday.
The game ended 2-all after extra time, and went into a penalty
shootout.
Siboniso Gaxa converted the fifth penalty for SuperSport, sending the home supporters into jubilation, but it was substitute goalkeeper Grant Johnson, on for the injured Calvin Marlin, who made the match-winning save.
Former Ajax Cape Town and Sundowns striker Carlo Scott shot straight at veteran SuperSport keeper Johnson, who kept the tame shot out of the net.
Santos threw away their slender lead twice as SuperSport fought back gallantly to force the game into extra time, and ultimately a shootout.
Santos captain Musa Otieno scored both goals for the visitors, while Abram Raselemane and Daniel Matsau got the goals for the Pretoria team.
In the other quarterfinal games, Kaizer Chiefs will be away to Black Leopards in Limpopo on Saturday, while Wits University will host Orlando Pirates at Bidvest stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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