Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Costa double guides Brazilians past Bumamuru
THE outcome of the match was never in doubt. After all, what chance did a Burundian outfit positioned 12th in their own league have of getting the better of the six-time South African champions who are on a six-match winning streak at the top of the table?
None would have been the answer. And so it was not surprising that Mamelodi Sundowns sauntered to a 4-0 second preliminary round, first leg CAF Champions League victory over Bumamuru FC at the neutral Azam Complex Stadium in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
While the second leg is still to be played, there is little chance of the Burundian club that reached this stage of the competition via a 6-2 aggregate victory over Gabonese outfit Centre Sportif de Bendje coming to Atteridgeville
and turning the tables on Rhulani Mokwena’s Brazilians.
The multiple DStv Premiership champions enjoyed a 3-0 half-time lead thanks to a brace from Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro Costa, who opened the scoring via a penalty on 12 minutes after a handball inside the box. He made it 2-0 on 37 minutes as he continued to show just why Sundowns lured him from the Belgian League, Ribeiro having already scored four times in domestic league and cup competitions.
Lesiba Nku added his name to the scoresheet shortly before half-time to raise hopes of a massacre in Tanzania.
It was not that Sundowns did not have the opportunities to score more. Far from it, for the talismanic attacker that is Ribeiro could have completed a hat-trick three minutes after the break but his powerful attempt rattled the crossbar.
Before him in the first half, Junior Mendieta had threatened to open the scoring but his attempt rolled just wide of the target while Teboho Mokoena blasted a free kick over.
On 70 minutes Mokwena made four changes at a go, bringing on Lebogang Maboe, Khuliso Mudau, Peter Shalulile and Bongani Zungu in the place of Rivaldo Coetzee, Bathusi Aubaas, Ribeiro and Mokoena.
The change proved a master stroke as Namibian Shalulile scored just 10 minutes after coming on to make it 4-0.
The scoreline flattered the Burundians who were given a taste of their own medicine having smashed Bendje 5-1 in the second leg late last month.
They will need Ellie Eldinho Mokono and Valentin Ali Shabani to rediscover the scoring form that saw the duo score a brace and a hat-trick respectively in that match if Bumamuru are to pull
the rug from under Sundowns’ feet in the second leg.
There’s more chance of Rulani Mokwena not beginning his post-match
media address by saying ‘congratulations’ than the Burundi outfit winning at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in the second leg.