Benni McCarthy has finally done it! The 40-year-old bagged his first major piece of silverware at the expense of SuperSport United, who went into the MTN8 final as the defending champions.
After regulation time, it looked like the Citizens were heading for the same fate they suffered last season when they lost 4-2 to Matsatsatsa in the same competition at the same venue.
For McCarthy, this win was historical given that he only took charge of City over a year ago as an inexperienced coach, but he has proven that he's more than capable of achieving success in the topflight.
Being one of the youngest coaches in the league, Benni has won the MTN8 trophy both as a player and coach, but this should be the start of the greater success to come.
He won it with Orlando Pirates upon his return from Europe, and he has done again as head coach of the Citizens.
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His team dominated the game from the word go and had to get something out of it, but it is the persistence and motivation to keep going that should be lauded.
While the game ended in a goalless draw after two hours of football at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, it is worth noting that City hit the woodwork twice and they kept pressing for the winnner throughout.
Tactically, City were the better team and they suffocated both Dean Furman and Reneilwe Letsholonyane in midfield, and this made it almost impossible for SuperSport United to play.
Defensively, both teams were solid, and they should be applauded even though the fans in Durban wanted to see the goals.
This made it difficult for the attackers to penetrate, but City did their homework, and they knew how they would beat SuperSport United, who looked relaxed and confident of winning the trophy for the second time in a row.
It was evident when Ronwen Williams started slowing down the pace of the game during in extra time, probably knowing that he would save a penalty or two should the game end in a goalless draw.
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But Peter Leeuwenburgh had other ideas, and the fact that he single-handedly ousted Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties, should have been a warning sign for SuperSport United players in this regard.
Perhaps, Kaitano Tembo should have started with Bradley Grobler, who proved in his last three games that he was enjoying playing in this tournament by scoring three goals in as many matches.
Despite the result, both coaches should be commended for their efforts, but most importantly, the two clubs for believing in young mentors with little experience to guide their teams.
Benni's success should go a long in motivating South African-born coaches, who are still waiting for their breakthrough in the PSL to work hard and never stop believing in themselves.
