Head coach Gavin Hunt watched from the stands as SuperSport United secured a CAF Confederation Cup Group stage spot on Friday evening.
Matsatsantsa beat Gaborone United 3-0 [4-1 on aggregate] in the second leg of the second preliminary round at Peter Mokaba Stadium.
Nigeria striker Etiosa Ighodaro scored a second-half brace and Bradley Grobler a third to send the South African side through.
WHY GAVIN HUNT HAD TO WATCH FROM THE STANDS?
Hunt, who currently holds an UEFA A Licence, is not allowed to sit on the bench, following new rules by CAF. CAF has made it mandatory that a coach should have a CAF A Licence or a Pro Licence to sit on the bench.
The club said in June that they intended to send Hunt on a specialised course to do an equivalent of a CAF A licence.
SUPERSPORT UNITED SECURE CONFEDERATION CUP GROUP STAGE SPOT
United also made a few changes in their line up with Washington Arubi starting in goals. Tanzanian defender Abdurazak Hamza also got his first start for the club.
The first real chance of the match came in the 21st minute when Shandre Campbell’s curler went over the bar. Five minutes later Jesse Donn’s header from a Campbell free kick found Gaborone’s keeper Ookeditse Semelamela well positioned.
Former Baroka winger Mpho Kgaswane’s effort in the half-hour mark outside of the box was blocked by Abdurazak Hamza before it could pose any threat to goalkeeper Arubi.
Campbell wasted another opportunity when his free kick from outside the 18 area couldn’t hit the target.
The visitors nearly scored on the stroke of half time. But poor decision-making by striker Thatayaone Kgamanyane inside the box resulted in a wasted opportunity. The match went into the halftime break at 0-0 [1-1 on aggregate].
The second half saw both clubs increasing the tempo and the home side were eventually rewarded in the 56th minute. Nigerian striker Etiosa Ighodaro dribbled past Gaborone defenders to easily put the ball in the back of the net.
Ighodaro scored his second of the match to seal it for United with a shot from inside the box in the 72nd minute. Substitute Bradley Grobler scored the third goal with a beautiful herder in the 90th minute.
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