SuperSport United claimed a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Moroka Swallows in a DStv Premiership match at the Dobsonville Stadium on Friday afternoon.
The narrow victory elevated Matsatsantsa to the second spot on the league standings and they will now host Libya’s Al Hilal Benghazi in a CAF Confederation Cup match on 20 December.
Swallows, on the other hand, remained eighth in the league standings and they will now travel to KwaZulu-Natal to face off with Royal AM in a DStv Premiership encounter on 23 December.
Matsatsantsa were the better side in the first-half with Daniel Akpeyi the busier of the two goalkeepers. The Nigerian shot-stopper parried away Grant Margerman’s curling cross in the 44th minute.
Akpeyi pulled off a magnificent save to deny Kegan Johannes from close range after the Swallows defence in first-half stoppage time and the score was 0-0 during the halftime break in Soweto.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute after the Dube Birds were awarded a free-kick in a promising area. Frank Mhango stepped up and scored with a stunning strike to hand Swallows a 1-0 lead.
Coach Gavin Hunt reacted by introducing Godspower Ighodaro and Tendamudzimu Matodzi. The duo made an impact as Matodzi levelled matters in the 85th minute with a decent finish to make it 1-1.
Ighodaro then became Matsatsantsa’s hero in the 89th minute when he beat Akpeyi at the near-post with a low shot to seal SuperSport’s 2-1 victory over Swallows with Ghampani Lungu providing the assist.