Cape Town City showed AmaZulu ukuthi they’re not to be played with.
The Usuthu fairytale bubble popped and their first opportunity for a trophy is gone.
Last season was amazing for the KwaZulu club, there was a new owner, top businessman Sandile Zungu.
To Capetonians who frequented Sea Point, he’s the ou whose face with his name “Sandile Zungu” was on the billboard above the bottle store and Marco’s Place some years back.
Yeah, that’s the guy my bru.
So, don’t take him for a shy guy.
He convinced Mzansi’s greatest Benni McCarthy to come home and become “Makhathini” the Chief of the AmaZulu troops.
Like good instant coffee with a morning drukkie, it was a lekker mix.
They rose from relegation-threatened to finish as runners-up and Benni was awarded the Coach of the Season.
Bab’ Zungu has been straight up wanting the club to not only be a contender but a champion at home and on the continent.
It’s now time for season two, and the Citizens, with whom he has won the tournament with, stood in the way of what would have been a crowning moment to their amazing run from last season.
Records were flying at AmaZulu under Benni and assistant coaches Vasili Manousakis and former teammates and friends Siyabonga Nomvethe and Moeneeb Josephs.
Six consecutive clean sheets, won more matches and collected more points than any other team since Benni took over in December 2020 until the end of the season and smashed the club’s record points, which was 42 points in a season.
They’ve sounded out their ambitions of winning those extra points needed to win the league title and make a statement in the Caf Champions League.
But ezaseKapa iCitizens said “we’re on our own mission” in the MTN8, as Terrence Mashego and Mduduzi Mdantsane scored two fantastic goals and Eric Tinkler’s team brought the Moses Mabhida Stadium to dead silence and shock.
The first goal was a good team goal, the defence spread the ball across from left to the Thami Mkhize on the right, Abbubaker Mobara shifted to the left, pushing Mashego forward to hug the line.
Mkhize played it back to Taariq Fielies who played it Bara to receive on the run and the centreback pushed the ball up and sent Mashego flying for a solo run past four defenders and topped it off with a neat finish past the AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa.
AmaZulu struck back through former City striker Lehlohonolo Majoro, but Mdantsane showed why he was given jersey number 10 with a top-class goal, after Mkhize stole possession and caught AmaZulu napping with a neat pass to the maestro to do his thing.
AmaZulu were not ready.They forgot they weren’t playing against the same team they beat 5-1 last season.
Khanyisa Mayo looked comfortable on debut, City look like they have reliable hands in Angolan goalkeeper Hugo Marques, who looked steady between the sticks.
They’ve been drawn against Swallows, who knocked out Orlando Pirates in the “Original Soweto Giants} battle at the Orlando Stadium.
However, they have to first deal with SuperSport United in the league this coming Saturday.
The league needs a different type of energy to how you play a Wafa Wafa tournament.
Progress to the semis doesn’t change the prize money, which is R800 000 for everyone and R8m for the winner.
So it’s very important City, their opponents Swallows and the other semifinalists Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns to remain humble until they win the whole MTN8 money pot.