Fans celebrate as Sundowns reign
at Lucas Moripe Stadium, Atteridgeville MAMELODI Sundowns are on the verge of being crowned kings of African club football after playing Zamalek off the field in yesterday’s first leg of the 2016 Caf Champions League final.
It was not just the emphatic scoreline, but the gulf in class of the two teams’ performances that make it extremely unlikely — as long as Downs keep calm and play sensible football — that Zamalek can come back from this defeat in the second leg in Alexandria next Sunday.
Anthony Laffor had become typecast in the role of Downs’ super-sub.
In recent weeks, apparently stung by claims by coach Pitso Mosimane that the “difficult” Liberian can waste substitute options with ineffective performances when starting, Laffor laid a claim for a first XI place — especially when he scored in the fifth minute of Downs’ semifinal second leg against Zambians Zesco United.
Influential as the in-form big man has been for Downs in the past six weeks — also setting up the crucial away goal against Zesco — he muddied the waters on whether he should start yesterday by having to be substituted at half time in Downs’ 3-0 MTN8 final shock by Bidvest Wits two weeks ago.
Mosimane, though, went with his instincts and started the forward for the big occasion. Laffor did not disappoint, smashing in the 32nd-minute goal Downs needed to take the pressure off.
Goals followed from Tebogo Langerman (40th minute) — perhaps fortunately from what appeared an attempted cross — then an own goal under immense pressure in the 46th by centreback Eslam Hamed.
Zamalek have even worse limitations to their squad than Sundowns, caused by movements during their change in seasons and arrived with 14 outfield players.
But that should not detract from the masterful performance of what could just be declared the best team seen in SA since the beginning of the Premier Soccer League era in 1996.
In a week they should be the first PSL team to be crowned African champions — in 1995 Orlando Pirates did it in the old National Soccer League era, VICTORY DANCE : Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane celebrates yesterday’s emphatic win over Zamalek in the old Champions Cup format.
Sundowns will have won many admirers across the continent for the football they have played in this Champions League. It has been relentlessly beautiful and beautifully brutal.
Roared on by a packed home crowd they played close to a perfect first half.
Downs came out spreading the ball, squeezing out the skill, muscling the advantage in search of an early goal as Percy Tau and Tebogo Langerman streaked into Zamalek’s area in the early exchanges.
The Brazilians paced themselves too. They did not put all their eggs in an early goal basket. But when Laffor, Khama Billiat, Keagan Dolly and Percy Tau turned things on in attack, Zamalek’s defensive structure had little answer.
When you’re attempting to establish dominance of a team, an emphatic opening goal is not out of place. Laffor provided it.
Big midfielder Hlompo Kekana’s deftest of passes through the middle found the Liberian a foot past the defence but played onside to turn and strike thunderously into the roof of goalkeeper Ahmed Elshenawy’s net.
When a second with an element of fortune, or brilliance, came five minutes before the break, Downs accepted it gratefully.
Fullback Langerman floated in what looked like a cross from left midfield, and which dipped in over Elshenawy’s head too perfectly to have possibly been intended as a strike at goal.
Downs went immediately on attack at the start of the second half and 53 seconds in Tau’s low ball was turned into his own net by Hamed. EVERYBODY loves a winner and the crowd in Atteridgeville are no different.
The spectators at the Lucas Moripe Stadium have been increasing noticeably with each match since April, when it became evident that Mamelodi Sundowns would win the league title, and they have progressed to the Caf Champions League.
Yesterday’s first leg of the final against Zamalek of Egypt brought arguably a bigger crowd than when Kaizer Chiefs visited in the last month of last season.
This despite the intense heat as Sundowns switched the kickoff time from the 7pm they have preferred throughout the campaign to 3pm, presumably hoping a combination of the baking sun and altitude would tire their opponents.
Getting to the venue is not easy either, with little or no parking, leaving thousands to trek down Maunde Drive, where the jacaranda trees in full purple bloom provided some cover.
As a result there was a steady trickle into the venue, even after half time before the venue was officially at its 40 000-capacity.
But the supporters kept coming, rewarded by a vintage performance that underlined Sundowns’ status as favourites to win their first continental title.
Atteridgeville isn’t exactly a glamour football destination and the austere concrete of the stadium usually does little to engender the feeling of a special day out, but that was not true of an afternoon of unbridled joy for the locals.
The play was fast and furious, the singing raucous and the result put all South Africa in dreamland, albeit with 90 minutes still to go.
Except for the 100-odd Egyptians fans who arrived at the same time as their team.
Almost to a man they were holding up their phone cameras and filming the opposing fans, who gave them a relatively warm welcome.
It was too hot for aggression anyway.
They all tried to get into the VIP area, pushing and shoving at the narrow entrance where one fell and cut his head as several women in the group burst into tears.
Sundowns’ security were slow in anticipating the problem but eventually herded some into a reserved section on the far side while the rest stayed in the VIP section, draping large Egyptian flags right over the tunnel and turning the main part of the grandstand into a Zamalek zone. But they were removed before kickoff.
Not that it bothered the home fans. They were too busy dancing and rapping
Sundowns will have won many admirers across the continent for the football they have played in this Champions League Play was fast and furious, the singing raucous and the result put all SA in dreamland
along with Mtee and Cassper Nyovest, who bounced up and down the athletics track that separates the crowd from the field.
Zamalek even got a chance at the turntable, with a few bars from a popular song, Misr, which means Egypt, belted out by the MC.
Two Zamalek officials, sweating in their dark suits, then ran round the track with their country’s flag. They had stopped to walking pace at the 250m mark.
Note to any travelling Sundowns supporters for next Sunday’s second leg: it would probably not be advisable to try that with the South African flag at Alexandria’s Borg El Arab Stadium. The reaction is likely to be a lot different to the bemusement shown by the home support.
But those who can, should make the trip.
Because Sundowns are so close now to crowning a historic night for sport in this country.