SOUTH AMERICAN MAGIC
Sundowns paint the town mellow yellow
● Pitso Mosimane came to the kingdom of KwaZulu with his mind set on one thing — collecting his ninth piece of silverware in his seventh year at the helm of the Brazilians.
He had to look no further than the South American connection who played provider and finisher to deliver the goods for Mosimane to bag a second Telkom Knockout title he last won in 2015.
The goals were made in Montevideo and scored with gusto down in Durban as Downs came from behind in heady fashion to send throngs of supporters to seventh heaven.
Beanpole striker and man-of-the-match Mauricio Affonso nodded past Richard Ofori off a curler from countryman Gaston Sirino in the 53rd minute to nullify a first-half lead by Judas Moseamedi.
Playing in his first final since joining the Brazilians at the beginning of the season, Affonso again became the beneficiary of his countryman’s benevolence, the skyscraper rising highest to meet a crisp Sirino corner that flew like a rocket past a stretched Ofori.
The bookmakers had the script but they didn’t bet on Moseamedi betraying it with the opening goal six minutes from the break.
Moseamedi received the loudest roar from the Maritzburg fans. The man whose brace booked Maritzburg’s berth in the final made an immediate impact. He sneaked behind a hesitant Mosa Lebusa. The ball ricocheted off Dennis Onyango and fell onto a silver platter for Keagan Buchanan.
Unfathomably, Buchanan fired wide with the goal at his mercy.
Someone fired off fireworks as a SA Police
Services brass band led the crowd in the singing of the national anthem.
It should have served as a sign to Sundowns that United were going to come gungho at them. This they did through the most potent weapon in their arsenal, the builtlike-a-baobab tree marksman that is Moseamedi.
Forever galloping like a horse on steroids, Moseamedi again applied pressure on Lebusa. This time he reaped the rewards of his tireless running, capitalising on another moment of indecision by Lebusa.
On display in Durban was the quality of the depth of the Sundowns squad as Mosimane made eight changes from the line-up that beat Stellenbosch 3-1 in a midweek Premier Soccer League clash.
Only the trio of Motsheka Modisha, Themba Zwane and Sphelele Mkhulise retained their slots as Mosimane brought back the bulk of his big boys.
Zambian Kennedy Mweene returned to the bench as Ugandan gloveman Dennis Onyango was restored between the sticks.
Fullbacks Tebogo Langerman and Thapelo Morena took over from Lyle Lakay and Nicholus Lukhubeni.
Andile Jali and Hlompho Kekana resumed their partnership in the engine room in place of Tiyani Mabunda and Rivaldo Coetzee.
Sirino returned from suspension to add gas upfront in place of Sibusiso Vilakazi while Ali Meza made way for fellow South American Affonso.
United have themselves to blame for failing to take their chances during the opening exchanges. They were able to zig-zag into the Sundowns half but were attacked by loadshedding when they got to the final third.
Daniel Morgan, Mxolisi Kunene and Buchanan could have extended the lead but wasted their efforts.
It was heartbreak saloon for the men from Maritzburg who lost their second final in two years following their fall to Free State Stars in the Nedbank Cup final in 2018. Eric Tinkler can be proud of the effort his men put in to get this far. But the night in Durban belonged to Mosimane and his men who painted the town mellow yellow as they sambad to the night.