19.09.2019 00:20 h

'Young guns' take SuperSport to South African final

Young South African stars Teboho Mokoena and Jamie Webber scored to give SuperSport United a 2-0 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns on Wednesday and a place in the Top 8 final.

SuperSport won the two-leg semi-final 3-1 on aggregate and face Highlands Park on October 5 in Soweto for a winners-take-all 8.8 million rand ($600,000/540,000 euros) prize.

Mokoena and Webber are part of the national under-23 squad that scored 11 goals against Angola and Zimbabwe to reach a tournament that will decide the three African qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

After Mokoena had given SuperSport an early lead, Sundowns dominated possession and had a genuine penalty appeal rejected before Webber came off the bench to score a late second goal.

A couple of smart passes and a lucky deflection set up Mokoena to slam the ball past veteran Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango on 12 minutes at a stadium near Pretoria that the clubs share.

The referee surprisingly waved play on when SuperSport and former Zimbabwe defender Onismor Bhasera fouled Thapelo Morena inside the box.

Another puzzling decision by the match official before half-time saw Sundowns' Uruguayan midfielder Gaston Sirino only yellow-carded after striking two SuperSport players.

While Sundowns dominated second half possession and captain Hlompho Kekana blazed over when well placed, SuperSport always threatened to increase their lead on the counter-attack.

A dribble by Orlando Pirates reject Thamsanqa Gabuza set up the second goal on 86 minutes with his pass allowing Webber to beat Onyango with a low shot into the corner.

The Top 8 competition features the clubs finishing first to eighth in the previous league season and Orlando Pirates won the first edition in 1972.