Sundowns close in on eighth league title

It is becoming a matter of when and not if Mama will give Mamelodi Sundowns and their fans the signal to collect their eighth Premier Soccer League title.

Their hard fought 1-0 win‚ courtesy of a first half penalty from defender Ricardo Nascimento‚ against Golden Arrows on Tuesday night further enhanced their status as premiership champions-elect as they regained their six-points lead at the summit.

As a result of this win — a fifth in succession — the Brazilians need only four points from their remaining three matches against Maritzburg United‚ Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic to pip secondplaced Orlando Pirates to the finishing line.

Pitso Mosimane’s men showed no signs of fatigue, despite the fact that this was their fourth league match in less than two weeks after beating Chippa United‚ Baroka FC and Bidvest Wits.

Unless Mosimane’s side suffers a meltdown of epic proportions‚ the league title will return to Chloorkop regardless of what happens with Pirates and the outcome of the Tendai Ndoro registration matter.

Pirates are going to be hardpressed to make up this sixpoint gap in their last three matches against Wits‚ Cape Town City and Free State Stars, who are going to give them a tough ride as they have ambitions of their own.

For Arrows‚ who were at some stage among the top sides in the league‚ this defeat is a crushing blow as they remain twelfth on the standings and only three points away from second-bottom Ajax at this crucial stage of the campaign.

Sundowns opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Nascimento sent Arrows goalkeeper Maximilian Mbaeva the wrong way from the spot after Zolani Nkombelo was judged by referee Kulasande Qgonqgo to have brought down Sibusiso Vilakazi in the box.

Before Nascimento found the back of the net‚ Sundowns applied consistent pressure on Arrows, with most of their attacks coming from Vilakazi‚ Gaston Sirino‚ Themba Zwane and captain Hlompho Kekana.