| Goals | Goals |
|---|---|
| 27. Nathan Paulse (27’) | 15. Mzikayise Mashaba (63’) |
| 34. Franklin Cale (55’) |
Improvement needed from both teams
Gavin Hunt, coach of Supersport United
But improvement will still be needed in many areas for the long season ahead.
Stars need to combine more as a unit and play consistently throughout the match and not just in patches.
Stars assistant coach Themba Sithole confirms this: “Two goals against the run of play and we lost concentration.
“We could have got something out of the game if we played consistently well right from the start,” Sithole said after the game.
SuperSport, meanwhile, played well in patches, but struggled at times in defence where they were using a brand new set of players including three debutants in Roscoe Pietersen, Lucas Thwala and Bevan Fransman.
SuperSport coach Gavin Hunt said after the game: “I thought it was a tough game. The field was very bumpy with the ball bouncing a lot and it was hard to control.
“But cup games are always tough and we had lots of new players. Lucas (Thwala) and Nathan (Paulse) only just came to us this week.
“So I thought it was very good at times, but we missed real penetration at times. There were a lot of balls we had to deal with at the back, which was tricky, but we kept the ball well at times on a bumpy surface.
“We need more fitness, but as we get closer to the league now we will improve. It was a fight today and next week we’ll play on a beautiful surface in Cape Town so it will be a different game all together.
New Stars signing from Jomo Cosmos, Taonga Dondo, had this to say: “Thanks for the opportunity to play, thanks to the coach and to God.
“Stars is a team that wants to win things and I am excited to be here.”
Scorer of SuperSport’s second goal, Franklin Cale, says he is feeling great after a very good pre-season with his team.
““Of course I am feeling great after such a good pre-season where we have been training three times a day,” Cale said.
“The ball didn’t come much on my side today, but it is part of the game. But ja, I got a nice goal. I am happy.”
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