SuperSport United will meet holders TP Mazembe in Confederation Cup final
- Published
South Africa's SuperSport United reached an African club final for the first time in their history when beating Club Africain 3-1 in Tunisia to win 4-2 on aggregate.
The Pretoria-based side will meet defending champions TP Mazembe next month after the Congolese drew 0-0 against FUS Rabat in Morocco on Saturday to qualify 1-0 on aggregate.
With the score level at 1-1 prior to Sunday's game in Rades, SuperSport United gave one of their best performances to claim victory on Tunisian soil.
Bradley Grobler opened the scoring for Eric Tinkler's side after 16 minutes before unsettled striker Jeremy Brockie doubled the lead just after half-time.
Within three minutes, the hosts had pulled one back from the penalty spot but any sense of a comeback for the pre-match favourites was extinguished when Grobler netted his second after 65 minutes.
SuperSport are only the second South African side to reach the final of African club football's second-tier competition, with Orlando Pirates beaten there by Tunisians Etoile du Sahel in 2015.
The future of New Zealander Brockie at SuperSport has been under much speculation and his recent form has been poor, with Tinkler regularly taking him off during the second half of matches.
Brockie had insisted media speculation about a possible switch to fellow South Africans Mamelodi Sundowns was not affecting his form, telling reporters that "when I run on the pitch my sole concern is scoring goals."
He delivered on Sunday as the competition's top scorer took his tally to 10 against Club Africain, Confederation Cup runners-up six years ago.
FUS Rabat (Mor) 0-0 TP Mazembe (DRC) (0-1 on aggregate)
With news filtering through to the capital Rabat that Wydad Casablanca had reached the Champions League final, there were hopes FUS Rabat could join their Moroccan rivals in reaching one of this year's African finals.
Yet the 2010 Confederation Cup winners could not beat Mazembe goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo, while missing some presentable chances, as they failed to win at home for the first time in this year's competition.
Meanwhile, Mazembe could have avoided a nervy finish had FUS goalkeeper Aymane Majid not pulled off saves to deny Malango and substitute Meschak Elia late on.
Five-time African champions Mazembe made it through thanks to Ben Malango's goal in the first leg in Lubumbashi on 1 October.
Having won the 2015 Champions League, the Congolese - unbeaten in this year's tournament - are through to a major African club final for the third year in a row.
Only one side has ever successfully defended the Confederation Cup: Tunisia's CS Sfaxien in 2007 and 2008.
The winner of the Confederation Cup, African football's second-tier club competition, will receive US$1,250,000 in prize money.
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