By Joshua Hendricks 

The final match of the Engen Knockout Challenge was football of the finest order, with Cape Town City proving too strong technically and tactically for an overmatched Stellenbosch side, as the Citizens finally lifted their first Engen KO Challenge Cup. 

“I think the boys really wanted it this year and stepped up,” said City Head Coach Byron Cottle. “Most importantly it was brotherhood, unity and team spirit, I think that got us over the line this year.” 

Historically, the Citizens have been slow starters at nearly any major tournament – and when they kicked off the Championship with a goalless draw against Rebels FC from Khayelitsha, it brought back vibes of last season’s campaign, where they began the competition in a similar sequence, and ultimately lost in the final against Ubuntu Football. 

smart

“It’s my second Engen – but it’s my first time winning it,” Captain Aphelele Modolwana told CapeAt6sport journalist Joshua Hendricks. “Last season we were beaten by Ubuntu in the final, so we had to bounce back from a very disappointing one last season.” 

“We started off the tournament slow and we have a very young team,” said Coach Cottle. “We ended the final now with six under 16 players, so it’s a positive.” 

So what made the difference this time around?

“Obviously, your experiences of last season, you take all the negatives and you try to learn from it and make it better the following season. I think that was the difference, because we learned from our mistakes and we came back this year to make it better.”

Their second group game took place on a very narrow pitch against a well-organized Table View FC team that never gave the Citizens an inch – but a single early goal was enough to give them three points. 

The final group game we saw a more confident, precise and well-organized side that seemed to be hitting all the right passes and closing off all the right spaces. There was an aggression in their press that was there – but not as intense. They put Vasco Da Gama away with ease by a 2-0 scoreline and never looked like they were ever in danger. 

“It’s tournament football, so what you try to do is to have the ball most of the time, and try to play all the football in the opponent’s half,” added Coach Cottle, who still plays football for Stephanians Ottery in his spare time. 

By the time the young Citizens were playing FN Rangers in the quarter-finals, they were flying and banging in goals for fun, completely demolishing the team from Royal Road by 4 goals to none. 

“There’s no time to mess around. You have to be aggressive, you have to win every ball, you have to win your one-versus-one situations. That was the difference – and that was the edge.”

When it came to the semi-finals, Cape Town City came up against the defending champions for the last two seasons: Ubuntu Football, who had just beaten hosts Wanderers FC by a 1-0 margin, a team who didn’t concede but was struggling to score. 

That game was probably the highlight of the weekend: the tactical nous displayed was of the highest order. 

The movement in the first half by Ubuntu made life extremely hard for Cottle’s young Citizens to a point where they almost couldn’t cope…but the dominance displayed by Mortitz Kossman’s chargers ultimately amounted to nothing, as they just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. In the second half, City adjusted and controlled the space way better – and that allowed them to counter attack and score the all important goal that would send them to the final. 

The final against Stellenbosch was a complete overhaul with City proving too strong technically and tactically. A joy to watch as they banged in four goals without reply, and lifted their first Engen KO Challenge Cup. 

“I think we had a better tournament but we started off slowly,” noted Captain Modolwana. “The boys really did believe that everything is possible, and we didn’t even concede throughout the tournament.”

Modolwana is proud of his team, and glad to have been able to lead them to this victory (and helping out by scoring and running off with a header.

“I’m thankful to the team and to the coaches for believing in me; to the Board for believing in me and pushing me,” he said. “So it feels really great that I’m rewarding them now – and it’s something great for me as well.”

The Cape Town and Jozi legs of the Engen Knockout Challenge are now over, but Durban will get their chance from 15 to 17 June 2022. And it will all culminate with the Champ of Champs finale later in the year. Stay tuned!

Edited by Nicklaus Kruger