SUNDOWNS FLY HIGH AS CHIEFS STRUGGLE ON CONTINENT
MAMELODI Sundowns were in rampant form in their Champions League group stage catch-up game after mopping the floor with CR Belouizdad in Tanzania, but Kaizer Chiefs were humiliated by Wydad AC in Burkina Faso yesterday.
Sundowns trounced Algeria's CR Belouizdad 5-1 to remain at the top of Group B with six points after two matches. Chiefs, on the other hand, are third in Group C with just one point after being embarrassed 4-0 by Morocco’s Wydad.
Both matches were held at neutral venues after the north Africans denied the South Africans entry to their countries, citing strict medical restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But the away disadvantage clearly didn’t matter for Sundowns in Dar es Salaam.
At the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, the Brazilians found the breakthrough as early as the fifth minute. Themba Zwane scored Sundowns’ opener from the penalty spot after Chouaib Keddad had deliberately cleared his goal-bound shot with his arm off the goal line.
Keddad received a straight red card for his infringement.
From then on, Sundowns continued to pile on the pressure as they dominated possession, although it was Belouizdad who found an unlikely equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
Against the run of play, Amir Sayoud raced his way to Sundowns’ penalty box before lobbing his effort over an onrushing Denis Onyango.
Sundowns returned from the half-time break rejuvenated, ensuring that they thumped Belouizdad, who continue to struggle.
An unmarked Peter Shalulile put Sundowns in the lead again after heading home from a Lyle Lakay corner kick.
Soon thereafter, Zwane scored a second goal after beating the offside trap to tap home a nicely weighted high ball from Gaston Sirino.
It was starting to become embarrassing from the home team as substitute Kermit Erasmus made an immediate impact. With his back facing goal, Erasmus set up Lebohang Maboe, whose hard and low shot beat Gaya Merbah at his near post.
Erasmus put the final nail in the coffin, tapping home from close range after a delightful cut-back from Zwane.
While Sundowns sent a bold statement to the rest of the teams about their intentions, Chiefs’ novice status at this stage of the competition was terribly exposed.
At Stade du 4 Aout in Ouagadougou, Chiefs went into the interval already 2-0 down, conceding goals which were a result of sloppy defending.
Mohamed Ounajem side-footed home at the near post after being picked out by Muaid Ellafi with a curling cross.
Chiefs, though, didn't seem discouraged as they attacked with purpose. Njabulo Blom saw his effort from distance take a deflection before goalkeeper Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti collected with ease. Wydad, though, missed an opportunity to double their lead from a set-piece.
But an unmarked Ayoub El Kaabi doubled the advantage for the Red Devils on the stroke of half-time, beating goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune at his near post after being picked out with a sumptuous diagonal delivery from the flank by Ounajem.
The Glamour Boys returned from the break reinvigorated but their early possession counted for nothing as their final balls were not clinical, or were denied their breakthrough by some fine goalkeeping.
Wydad proved why they are one of the giants of African football, Simon Msuva slotting his team's third after a mix-up at the back. Wydad were not done, though. Yahya Jabrane scored his team's fourth from the spot, as Chiefs captain Ramahlwe Mphahlele was sent off for the foul.