DOWNS IN TOP FORM
Amakhosi too good for Stars in Cup victory
IT WAS not the prettiest of performances from the normally slick Sundowns outfit but a couple of good penetrative passes from Gaston Sirino made sure that they were able to beat a team – Arrows – who have given them trouble in Cup games in the past, and walk away away with a 2-0 win in their MTN8 quarter-final clash yesterday.
Sundowns were hoping to continue the momentum from a mid-week victory over Polokwane, and such they welcomed back into the starting berth captain Hlompho Kekana and Wayne Arendse, who replaced Tiyani Mabunda and Ricardo Nascimento respectively.
New recruits Lyle Lakay and Lebohang Maboe kept their places in the starting line-up, after featuring for the Brazilians against Chiefs a week ago.
Arrows’ defence kept their shape in the early stages of the game, with the Arrows keeper Nkosingiphile Gumede first to make a save, punching Lyle Lakay’s free-kick over the top in the opening minutes.
Sundowns were forced to play on the flanks with Themba Zwane and Lakay, while Sirino and Lebohang Maboe were playing a supporting role to Jeremy Brockie.
This forced the homeside to play just in front of Arrows’ defence with diagonal crosses.
Sundowns created a couple of nice touches from this tactic, but there was not enough penetrative effort to reach Gumede’s goal.
But eventually Arrows’ lost focus for a second, which resulted in the Sundowns attackers all linking up for a goal.
Brockie linked up with Sirino who cut in, found an unmarked Zwane in front of him, and Zwane cleverly teed-up for Sibusiso Vilakazi at the edge of the box to unleash a delightful curler that left Gumede flat-footed as the ball hit the net.
The visitors did try to find their feet in the second stanza of the game through their reserve league graduate and find of the season Siboniso Conco who came up with a couple of good touches in the attacking department, but he didn’t receive much support from the two front-runners Nduduzo Sibiya and Lerato Lamola.
That meant they still had to dig deep in search of an equaliser, but their efforts going forward left them vulnerable, and gave Uruguayan Sirino the opportunity that he needed to get his team back into the game.
He took the attack to the Arrows defence and in the process mesmerised Nkanyiso Mngwegwe into a blunder that saw him lose his boot at some point.
While Arrows’ defence was still trying to come back and regroup, Sirino caught them on a break and delivered a quality cross that found Arendse, who calmly headed home.
The slowness of the game could indicate that both sides are still working on their way back to full fitness and some players are still to find their feet in their new homes.
But for the PSL champions Sundowns, there’s no time to moan and sulk around as they continue with continental football in the Caf Champions League against Wydad Casablanca this week.
Andile Jali will be a source of motivation for the team in their African campaign after he was out injured for the last two starts of the season.
@Mihlalibaleka
Chiefs looked a lot more fluid in their attack as they put in a fine shift to eliminate Stars in the MTN8 quarter-finals here last night.
The Glamour Boys were hapless earlier in the week when they were put to the sword by Bidvest Wits at the same venue, being thrashed 3-1 in their first home game this season under coach Giovanni Solinas.
A massive response was needed in this lucrative cup competition and Amakhosi almost effortlessly brushed the Bethlehem outfit aside with goals by Dumisani Zuma, Leonardo Castro and Khama Billiat.
With Siphelele Ntshangase, who arrived at Naturena in January from Baroka FC but strangely spent more time on the bench than on the pitch, controlling the tempo of the match, Chiefs were extremely comfortable in the opening stages. And their visitors were hardly a threat, absorbing the pressure and letting Chiefs come at the them.
Solinas made four changes to the side that lost so heavily to Wits in the PSL on Tuesday and that appeared to do the trick, Itumeleng Khune, the goalkeeper and club captain, did not make the 18-man squad for personal reasons – his girlfriend having been involved in a life-threatening car crash a few days earlier, and the skipper was supposedly given time off to be with her.
New signing Virgil Vries made his debut as a result but was hardly troubled. In the other three changes, Erick Mathoho, Siphiwe Tshabalala and Bernard Parker all dropped to the bench and Siyabonga Ngezana, goal scorer Zuma and Joseph Molangoane took their place.
Zuma broke the deadlock after just 20 minutes in a goal that perhaps best describes the fluid passing movements that could soon be synonymous with Chiefs under Solinas. Ntshangase began the move deep in midfield by sending a pinpoint pass to winger Molangoane, who danced around the Stars defence in the box before setting up his team-mate for a sublime finish.
Amakhosi fans would have loved seeing that over and over again. Pity there were no replays inside the stadium.
Billiat scored Chiefs’ third goal with virtually the last kick of the ball after referee Victor Gomes had included 13 minutes of extra time.
@superjourno