Sekhukhune United took a giant step towards continental football qualification as they heaped more misery on Cape Town City with a hard-fought 2–1 win in the Betway Premiership at Cape Town Stadium on Sunday.
The match marked the return of Eric Tinkler to his former club, having been dismissed four months ago following a string of poor results that saw City slip dangerously close to the foot of the table.
The Limpopo-based outfit survived a major scare early in the second half after new Royal AM recruit Khulekani Shezi was sent off for two bookable offences within 46 minutes, throwing Tinkler a tactical curveball and leaving his side to endure a tense second half with ten men.
Goals from Samkele Sihlali and Chibuike Ohizu gave the visitors an early advantage, sending them into the break 2–0 up. Kayden Francis pulled one back with his 67th-minute strike, but Tinkler’s men dug deep, closed shop, and held on for three crucial points in their push for a top-three finish.
The win was Babina Noko’s second over the Cape side this season, following their 1–0 victory in the first leg at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. The 54-year-old mentor was pleased with his side’s resilience, especially after the red card.
“I think I aged another ten years,” Tinkler said after the match. “In the first half, I thought we were the better team and deserved the two-goal lead, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
“Playing the second half with ten men meant we were under pressure throughout. We spoke at half-time about weathering the storm in the first 15 minutes. If we could do that, we felt we could control the game better – but all that planning goes out the window when you’re a man down.
“The boys had to work extremely hard defensively to maintain the lead. We made a few mistakes at the back which cost us the goal, but in the end, everyone gave everything to get us over the line.”
Tinkler was without several key players on Sunday, including captain Linda Mtambo, and he believes some are still adjusting to life under his leadership.
“There were a number of players sitting on three yellow cards for more than ten matches. Injuries have also been a major concern, most of them muscle-related. It’s probably a result of adapting to my training methods. The intensity I demand is higher, so that’s something I’ll need to monitor more closely.
“The target tonight was to reach the 37-point mark because Saturday’s results worked in our favour. When other teams give you opportunities, you have to take them.”
Sekhukhune now hold a one-point lead over fourth-placed TS Galaxy and are two ahead of fifth-placed Stellenbosch FC, although they have played one more match than the Cape side.
