Cape Town City edged their way into the MTN8 semi-finals with a narrow 1-0 victory over Sekhukhune United, thanks to a late penalty by Darwin Gonzalez.
The match, played at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, saw both teams struggle to break the deadlock until the dying moments.
Sekhukhune started strongly, with Fortune Makaringe testing Cape Town City’s goalkeeper, Darren Keet, as early as the third minute.
Keet, however, was almost caught out in the 10th minute when he parried a header onto the post, narrowly avoiding gifting the hosts an early lead.
The visitors were under pressure, with Lorenzo Gordinho making a crucial clearance in the 17th minute to deny a dangerous cross from Linda Mntambo.
Sekhukhune continued to press, with Keletso Makgalwa coming close to opening the scoring in the 24th minute, but his effort went wide.
Gonzalez had a few opportunities to put City ahead, including a 29th-minute shot from outside the box, but Sekhukhune’s goalkeeper, Badri Sangare, was equal to the task.
The most significant chance of the first half came in the 40th minute when City were awarded a penalty.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Gonzalez’s powerful strike hit the crossbar, leaving the teams goalless at half-time.
The second half saw Gonzalez squander another opportunity in the 67th minute, firing over the bar from close range.
However, redemption came in the 87th minute when City were awarded another penalty. This time, Gonzalez made no mistake, coolly converting to secure a hard-fought victory for Eric Tinkler’s side.
With this win, Cape Town City joins Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch FC in the MTN8 semi-finals, keeping their hopes of silverware alive.