Betway Premiership defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns are now in pole position after a convincing 3-1 victory over stubborn Marumo Gallants at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night.
It was Sundowns’ eighth consecutive win in the league and also a statement of intent to their opponents that it is going to take something extra special for anyone to stop coach Miguel Cardoso’s side that is peaking and gaining momentum in these crucial stages of the league race.
Masandawana have now opened a two-point gap over second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have established themselves as the team to end Sundowns’ domination this season. The Brazilians have won the SA league title for eight seasons in a row, and Pirates seem to be running out of breath in their pursuit to win the league title they last won in the 2011/12 season.
Sundowns are leading the charts, having registered 50 points in 21 matches, while the Buccaneers are tailgating them with 48 points in the bag. Pirates, who have played the same number of games, dropped two valuable points at home in their 1-1 draw against Siwelele FC at the Orlando Stadium on Saturday, and it seems like that result is coming back to haunt the Buccaneers.
Sundowns opened the scoring via an own goal from Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya who headed Marcelo Allende’s free-kick into his own net in the 20th minute. Just before the halftime break, Phillip Ndlondlo gave Gallants some hope when he equalized from the penalty spot. This was after a Sundowns defender handled the ball inside the 18-area.
Sundowns made a tactical change during halftime when they brought in Bafana Bafana international Teboho Mokoena, who added muscle to the home side’s attack. Mokoena’s introduction was a stroke of genius as the midfield maestro increased the lead with a deft touch that left goalkeeper Washington Arubi in no man’s land. Mokoena then made it 3-1 with a thunderbolt towards the end of the match, giving Sundowns a comfortable win at home.
This weekend, Sundowns will be involved in a CAF Champions League assignment in Mali while Pirates’ next league match is against TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga on Sunday.
