JOHANNESBURG: Want-away New Zealander Jeremy Brockie has been told he could leave SuperSport United if he helps the South African club win the CAF Confederation Cup.
The 29-year-old former international striker from rugby hotbed Christchurch had a mid-year transfer request rejected with another Pretoria club, Mamelodi Sundowns, keen to sign him.
But a top SuperSport official said this week that the Kiwi could be freed to join recently deposed African champions Sundowns during the January transfer window.
“If we have won the CAF Confederation Cup by then, we will be open to offers for Jeremy,” said chief executive Stanley Matthews.
Brockie tops the Confederation Cup goal charts with nine, including a hat-trick against Barrack Young Controllers of Liberia in Pretoria.
But his recent international and domestic form has been poor with coach Eric Tinkler regularly taking him off during the second half of matches.
Brockie insists media speculation about a possible switch to Sundowns is not affecting his form, telling reporters that “when I run on the pitch my sole concern is scoring goals.”
Winning the secondary African competition presents a huge challenge for Brockie and SuperSport, though, after being held 1-1 at home by Club Africain of Tunisia in a semifinal first leg.
It could have been even worse for SuperSport as they equalized with only three minutes left when Thabo Mnyamane tapped in the rebound after his weak penalty was saved.
Mnyamane suffered a groin injury when SuperSport won the first domestic knockout final of the season last weekend and misses the return match in Rades Sunday.
Club Africain, who were 2011 Confederation Cup runners-up to MAS Fes of Morocco, snatched a potentially precious away goal through a Saber Khalifa penalty.
The Tunisians began their quest for a second CAF title after the 1991 African Cup of Champions Clubs (now CAF Champions League) by trouncing RSLAF of Sierra Leone 9-1 in Tunis.
They also won five subsequent home matches in Africa and, given that a goalless draw will suffice for overall victory, are expected to eliminate SuperSport.
Title-holders TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo take a 1-0 lead over 2010 Confederation Cup winners FUS Rabat to Morocco in the other semifinal.
Congolese striker Ben Malango, one of the finds of the competition this season, scored his sixth goal to give the “Ravens” a narrow advantage ahead of the second leg late Saturday.
Mazembe can expect to spend much more time defending in Rabat than they did at home and the absence of injured Mali center-back Salif Coulibaly is a serious blow.
While the Congolese are the only unbeaten team having won seven matches and drawn four, FUS boast a perfect five-victory home record this season.
Football: Want-away Kiwi told to help win CAF Cup first
Football: Want-away Kiwi told to help win CAF Cup first
Man United climb to third, Fulham sink sorry Spurs
- Red Devils have taken their tally to 19 points from a possible 21
LONDON: Benjamin Sesko stretched his hot streak with the winning goal as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to go third in the Premier League, while Tottenham failed to dispel relegation fears after defeat at Fulham.
Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League.
Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacroix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson’s corner.
But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.
The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.
Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot kick past former teammate Dean Henderson.
Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko.
The Slovenian has now scored seven times in his last eight appearances to quieten critics of his £74 million ($100 million) price tag after a slow start to his career in England.
Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.
Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.
Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.
The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 at Brighton.
All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s reply.
Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.
