Chiefs lift Coca-Cola Cup 2004
20 December 2004
Kaizer Chiefs striker Collins Mbesuma scored the only goal in the Coca-Cola Cup final against SuperSport United in Bloemfontein on Saturday, giving the Glamour Boys R2-million in prize money and lifetime possession of the original Cup trophy.
The teams played entertaining football, regularly launching attacks at their opponent's goal. It was only in the 80th minute when United's defenders panicked and failed to clear their lines.
The ball fell into the path of Chiefs' David Radebe, who laid on a pass to Mbesuma, and the prolific goalscorer unleashed a powerful shot that left United keeper Marlin Calvin stranded.
After Mbesuma's goal, United pulled off hard-working winger Phil Evans in a desperate bid for an equaliser. But it was already too late in the game for lanky striker Dale Studzinski to make any impact, with Chiefs defending their lead in numbers.
Chiefs' victory was sweet revenge for the 1-0 defeat by the Pretoria-based
side in the SAA Supa8 final in October. Chiefs' win also broke the hoodoo that United has had over them for the last 10 encounters between the two teams, Chiefs having failed to beat Pitso Mosimane's side on all these occasions.
The star of the show for the Amakhosi, however, was midfielder Emmanuel "Scara" Ngobese, who kept Evans in close check. Ngobese also made all the right moves, with each pass he made forcing United onto the back foot.
The Chiefs defence, suspect in almost every game since the start of the season, was better organised this time round, dealing effectively with threats from the United trio of Tsweu Mokoro, Manuel Bucuane and Abram Raselemane.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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