South Africa: From Bad to Worse for SuperSport!

4 December 2023

SuperSport United suffered their second successive Caf Confederation Cup defeat after falling 2-0 to visiting USM Alger at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Sunday.

Gavin Hunt's men were on the back foot from as early as the fifth minute when defender Saadi Radouani handed his side the lead.

Central midfielder Brahim Benzaza doubled the Algerian visitors' lead on 56 minutes to make life difficult for SuperSport in their Limpopo backyard.

After also losing to Egyptian side Modern Future in their Group A opener last week, Matsatsantsa are languishing at the foot of the table after Sunday's result.

It was an afternoon in Polokwane where their continental credentials were left under heavy scrutiny, for a side considered one of the most competitive in the Premier Soccer League.

The defeat by USM Alger was SuperSport's fourth straight loss across all competitions.

Hunt was brave enough to start teenage attacker Shandre Campbell but tried to balance things up by putting experienced Phathushedzo Nange back in the line-up.

The absence of experienced defenders Siyanda Xulu and Onismor Bhasera could be felt as another green horn Ime Okon was trusted in central defence alongside Thulani Hlatshwayo.

But SuperSport's backline was overwhelmed by seasoned continental campaigners and Confederation Cup defending champions USM Alger.

As they were still trying to settle into the contest, Radouani struck but Campbell and Bradley Grobler kept the Algerians' goalkeeper Oussama Benbot busy with promising efforts.

Eleven minutes after the restart, UM Alger's game plan of scoring early in either half worked as Benzaza struck when the hosts were still trying to find their feet in the second half.

Hunt continued with his daring decisions when he threw in Keenan Bezuidenhout, who is in his top-flight football debut season, and took off the more experienced Gamphani Lungu.

Even other substitutions did not work for SuperSport as their visitors stamped their authority.

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