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DURBAN. — Kaaitano Tembo felt his SuperSport United side played “effect football”, but were let down by their decision-making as they failed to defend their MTN8 crown.

SuperSport missed out on a chance to secure back-to-back MTN8 titles after suffering a 4-1 penalty shoot-out loss to Cape Town City at Moses Mabhidha in Durban.

“I think it was a bit difficult. It was a very tight game where we never really give too much. I think we had a few chances, a few breaks especially in the 90 minutes,” Tembo told SuperSport after the game.

“But probably a lack of good decision-making especially in the final third then we could’ve sneaked one in there. Even them as well, there were times when they had a few breaks where they could have sneaked in one there.

“But at the same time, it was a game where it could’ve been decided by penalties because 120 minutes couldn’t even separate the two teams” Tembo said during a post-match interview.

Tembo was not pleased with the way City were allowed to penetrate right through the middle.

“I think they were playing through, especially in midfield where they could find the striker, where our midfielders were not really screening the defence and protecting the defence and they could get a few second balls.

“There was a time where [Ayanda] Patosi got a few second balls and [Siphelele] Mthembu there was a time when he went through as well that could’ve been a goal. But I think we came back after that.

“We created a few chances. We played effective football. We got into effective areas but poor decision-making let us down. But at the same time, credit should go to City, they played well. “They had the better part of the possession, but we defended well as well. At the same time, you need to give it to them they deserve it,’’ Tembo said.

While Tembo was lamenting his team’s poor decision-making in key aspects of the game, Cape Town City coach Benni McCarthy was basking in the glory of securing his first title as a coach after Cape Town City’s MTN8 triumph, but there was time in the game where he thought his side were going to be punished as they were in last season’s final.

After a goalless 120 minutes, City came out triumphant in the penalty shoot-out, defeating SuperSport United to clinch their maiden MTN8 crown. McCarthy admitted he thought the clash would’ve ended the same way it did last season, with SuperSport winning, after they squandered a number of chances in the box. — Soccer Laduma