DOWNS DAZZLE
MOKE in the yellow and royal blue club colours billowed up from deep in the crowd on the eastern side of the stands. A group of young drum majorettes, resplendent in the same colours, appeared on the near side and started doing their thing.
The Absa Premiership trophy and medals may have been absent – they are to be handed over to the champions on the final day of the season – but there was no stopping Mamelodi Sundowns celebrating their eighth PSL title as only they know how.
The players, as they have done in all their home matches, walked over to the eastern stands and applauded their fans before they all broke into song.
And expectedly, the name they quickly chanted was of the man who should surely walk away with the PSL Footballer of the Year accolade come the end of season awards ceremony – Percy Tau.
The stadium reverberated into “Percy, Percy, Percy” and the young man whose splendid performances and goals had a lot to do with Sundowns reclaiming the championship after losing it to Bidvest Wits last season, acknowledged them passionately – bouncing up and down and then even going to the near stand before applauding them in his typical shyness, .
There was, however, nothing shy about his performance yet again as he led Sundowns’ comefrom-behind victory here yesterday. With Ajax rushing into the lead via captain Musa Lebusa’s goal in the second minute, the Brazilians needed calm heads and someone to lead them back into the match.
Tau combined brilliantly with captain Hlompho Kekana who threaded some amazing through balls to the striker. He did not score
Sand actually uncharacteristically wasted a one-on-one chance and also had his curling shot brilliantly pushed over for a corner by Jody February, but Tau was influential in this victory alright!
It was his square ball from the right that saw Khama Billiat push home the equaliser on 11 minutes. Parity restored, Sundowns went about their usual business of proving their superiority over local opposition. And they quickly showed that the past week’s two failures against Maritzburg United were nothing but a blip on the radar as they dominated the game and looked threatening whenever they ventured forward.
Sure Yanick Zakry, on loan from them to Ajax, nearly put the visitors ahead only to blast his shot against the upright with Denis Onyango well-beaten.
But then Sundowns got their second from the penalty spot via Ricardo Nascimento after Jody February had kicked Billiat karate-style after the Zimbabwean had coolly lobbed him.
It was soon 3-1 as Sibusiso Vilakazi finished off an excellent move from deep in their own half that saw passes exchanged among no less than four players.
The second half was but a mere formality and that no goals were scored was not surprising, the job long done in the initial stanza.
This eighth championship title though, was won way back last season when Wits deposed them and Pitso Mosimane, pictured, promised that he knew where the trophy was and he was going to get it back.
AYANDA Patosi produced another fantastic goal as Cape Town City defeated Orlando Pirates 1-0 here yesterday and in the process ensuring that Mamelodi Sundowns are crowned Absa Premiership champions for the eighth time. With Pirates losing, and with one game to go, Sundowns, after a 3-1 win over Ajax Cape Town in Atteridgeville, now have an unassailable lead at the top of the PSL standings. Sundowns have 59 points and Pirates are on 52. As for City, the win takes them on to 40 points, and fifth on the log.