Sundowns lose on penalties
ONLY one man did not look rusty in this Premier Soccer League opener between Mamelodi Sundowns and Bloemfontein Celtic, with the two teams teasing each other and denying the fans the spectacle they deserved.
Even worse, Celtic took a big scalp by beating the Brazilians 4-2 on penalties in this MTN8 quarterfinals clash.
Keagan Dolly, one of only three new recruits by Sundowns this season, seemed to have read the script. It was a debut to remember, but it was overshadowed by the lack of goals, and Sundowns’s early exit from the competition.
The last time these two sides met in April things ended with a 5-0 drubbing of Downs.
Last night, the game had to be decided on the lottery of penalties after the two teams were deadlocked at 1-1 following extra time. Fiston Abdul, anoth- er Sundowns debutant, scored what looked like would be the winner in the 105th minute, but was cancelled out by Musa Bilankulu’s header minutes later. Kennedy Mweene and Asavela Mbekile missed their spot kicks, while Celtic players calmly converted.
Although the 23-year-old from Burundi did not necessarily set the scene alight, he proved he is decent enough a signing.
Dolly, making his first official appearance for the club since joining from Ajax Cape Town, had a quiet start until he came alive in the 34th minute.
The legs were a bit heavy, and understandably so given that pre-season is never enough to get the match fitness up. But Dolly had been in action with the national under-23s, helping them in their quest to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Sundowns’ first real chance came courtesy of Dolly following good interplay with Abdul, but his shot did not have much power to trouble Celtic keeper Patrick Tignyemb.