Supersport United defeats Manchester City 2-0 in Pretoria

Manchester City Supersport United

Manchester City opened their pre-season tour of South Africa with a 2-0 defeat to Supersport United in Pretoria in new coach Manuel Pellegrini‘s first match in charge.

Senegalese striker Mame Niang headed Supersport ahead in the 56th minute and South African international Kermit Erasmus beat City’s reserve goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon to score the second 18 minutes from time.

Edin Dzeko and James Milner both came close for the English Premier League side.

Pelegrini changed his whole team at the break. The likes of goalkeeper Joe Hart, captain Vincent Kompany, new signing Fernandinho, Samir Nasri and Dzeko all went off at halftime, with Joleon Lescott and Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure among those coming on.

Toure – who took over as skipper – hit a speculative long-range shot in the 76th that sailed over the crossbar before he limped off at the very end.

The tour forms the first leg of City’s pre-season preparations.

City’s players unveiled a shirt dedicated to former South African President Nelson Mandela before kickoff.

The Premier League side will play their second game of the tour, against AmaZulu, on Thursday to mark the 95th birthday of the anti-apartheid icon.

Source: BBC