Downs back in winning habit
EDGE RICHARDS BAY IN LEAGUE ENCOUNTER
After huffing and puffing in a number of DStv Premiership games and a Nedbank Cup quaterfinal, Mamelodi Sundowns finally got back to winning ways on the domestic front.
Masandawana, who have already won a sixth straight league title, were made to sweat against Richards Bay yesterday afternoon at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Sundowns beat the Natal Rich Boyz 1-0 to move to 65 points this season – with three games left before they are handed the league trophy. Sundowns can now reach 74 points, which would be a record-breaking tally in a 16-team league format.
Thapelo Morena opened the scoring in the 25th minute and Sundowns needed some luck as the ball came off the back of a Richards Bay player before it landed in the path of Morena.
It was Sphelele Mkhulise who played a high ball into the box, and it proved to be a tricky one as two Natal Rich Boyz went for it in an attempt to clear.
In the end, no one managed to extinguish the danger and they had to agonisingly watch the ball fall to Morena, who hardly makes mistakes from that distance.
Morena fired past goalkeeper Jamal Salim, placing the ball in the top corner.
In what could be seen as a generous gesture to give some players a run out, Downs head coach Rulani Mokwena made three substitutions at the start of the secondhalf when he brought in Khuliso Mudau, Ntandoyenkosi Nkosi and Mosa Lebusa in the place of Morena, Sipho Mbule and defender Abdelmounaim
Boutouil.
The KwaZulu-Natal side has now gone 11 games without a win and next face relegation-threatened Chippa United.
Sundowns’ next appointment is a tie with Algerian side CR Beloluizdad, who they take on
this Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
Downs will be seeking to get into the semifinals of the Caf Champions League and they already have one foot in the lastfour after bulldozing the Algerian side 4-1 in the first-leg of the quarterfinal.