SuperSport counting the cost of CAF run

SuperSport United chief executive Stan Matthews has revealed that the club has made a R3-million loss competing in the CAF Confederation Cup.

Matsatsantsa a Pitori missed out on the R18-million winner's cheque after losing 2-1 on aggregate against TP Mazembe in the final.

Despite pocketing R8.5-million as losing finalists, competing in the tournament has hit the club's balance sheet hard.

"We probably lost R3-million. Had we won, we could have gone past break-even point," Matthews said.

"Once we made it past the group stages it was not about money [but] it was always about making the country proud and making history."

Going forward, Matthews says the club will use their second string team in next year's competition.

SuperSport will return as Nedbank Cup winners, with Cape Town City another SA representative in the second-tier competition having finished third in the Absa Premiership.

"I don't think we will use a full strength squad in the preliminary stages.

"We will push some of the fringe players to give them more experience in that format. If we then push to the group stages then we can have a dart again."

The former PSL boss blasted CAF for the shambolic disorganisation of the competition.

"I would rather put my energies in a PSL basket than a CAF basket because at least we know the level of professionalism and we know there is a degree of accountability from the officials," Matthews bemoaned.

" In the organisation of logistics and stadiums the PSL is world-class, unfortunately the same cannot be said about CAF."

The dejected club honcho encouraged the players to focus on their Premiership clash against Ajax Cape Town tomorrow (8.15pm).

"We need to bounce back in the league, the players are flat, disappointed, tired and they are demoralised," he said.