Downs go through the motions
● Swallows FC denied DStv Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns victory for the second time this season, the Dube Birds keeping their unbeaten home run intact while recording their 19th league draw against the Brazilians at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto yesterday.
The teams drew 1-1 earlier in the season and yesterday’s outcome was mainly due to Swallows restricting the champions to just one shot on target for the 90 minutes.
Sundowns showed no sign of slowing despite collecting enough points (60) to bag their fourth successive league title and 11th overall in the Premier Soccer League era with their 3-1 victory over their neighbours SuperSport United on Wednesday.
The Sundowns’ technical team made six changes to the team that beat SuperSport, but the big one was in goal where forgotten Reyaad Pieterse came in for injured Denis Onyango. Khuliso Mudau and Mothobi Mvala also got rare starts in a line-up that also saw the return of red-hot striker Peter Shalulile.
Swallows started better, camping in the Sundowns half, but midway through the first half Sundowns started to gain more possession.
In honesty though, Sundowns lacked
Perhaps knowing they’ve won the title hampered their commitment
their usual sharpness and slick combinations going forward — perhaps knowing they’ve already won the title hampered their commitment. Only two shots were directed by Sundowns at Sanele Tshabalala’s goal in the first half, but even those were off target.
Not that Swallows were giving Pieterse anything to do, with only one shot out of four on target.
Aubrey Madiba provided the only shot on target for Sundowns in the 53rd minute, but Tshabalala did well to tip it over for a corner as the champions showed more urgency.
With Sibusiso Vilakazi replacing injured Themba Zwane after the restart, the visitors attacked with more purpose, but Shalulile was still not getting assists that would have helped him add to his 11-goal tally.
Shalulile got a pass from Vilakazi in the 72nd minute but the Namibian failed to keep the ball underneath his legs, resulting in his hurried shot being way off Tshabalala’s goal.
Swallows left back, Sifiso Hlanti provided a good cross for substitute Kagiso Malinga with 15 minutes left, but the striker could only direct his header onto the crossbar in one of the rare opportunities that Brandon Truter’s team created in the second half.
With this draw, the Brazilians can now only finish on 67 points if they beat Bloemfontein Celtic on Wednesday and Cape Town City at home on Saturday, the day they will be handed their league crown.