SUPERSPORT United striker Bradley Grobler loves the MTN8 competition!
And coach Kaitano Tembo is banking on his deadly striker to fire them again when they host Bloemfontein Celtic in the first leg of the semi-final at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday (3 pm).
Grobler fired SuperSport to the Wafa Wafa title last season by scoring two goals in four matches, including the winner in the final against now-defunct Highlands Park at Orlando Stadium in September last year.
Following those exploits, at the PSL awards that were held recently, Grobler was deservedly named the player of the tournament.
The 32-year-old seemed to be keeping his eyes on this year’s competition too.
He was on the score sheet when SuperSport passed the stern test posed by Tshakuma Tsha Madzivhandila by winning 3-2 in the quarter-final, poking home in the 8th minute at Thohoyandou Stadium.
On top of that, Grobler has won this competition twice, first winning it in 2017-18 in Durban before the last term.
“Bradley is very important to us and he’s important to also to the team, but not just in the MTN8, but throughout our campaign,” said Tembo who won this competition as a player when SuperSport beat Kaizer Chiefs in 2004 when it was known as SAA Supa8.
True to Tembo’s words, last season was the best term for Grobler. He scored 16 goals in 34 matches in all competitions.
“If you look at last season, he scored 13 leagues so that shows how important he’s. Having said that, we always try to focus on the structure of the team and he fits in very well into that.
“He allows us to play, especially in our attacking structure. His overall contribution to our attacking structure is very important to us.”
Tembo heads to this game on a back foot though.
SuperSport lost the league game 3-1 midweek to Golden Arrows and the former defender described the performance as flat from his liking.
It is not ideal and he said going to the game on Sunday against Siwelele, they’ll need to improve and score goals to make things easier for them to finish the job going into the second leg next weekend.
“The first leg is always important not to concede at home,” said Tembo.
“Conceding the goal, you’d like to prevent that.
But if we win 2-1, 1-0, 2-0, it still gives us a foundation heading to the second leg.”
