Sundowns shocked by lowly TTM

Mamelodi Sundowns 0

Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila FC 0

TTM win 6-5 on penalties

WASHINGTON Arubi was the hero for Tshakhuma yesterday as the underdogs shocked Sundowns in a penalty shootout in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals at Loftus Versveld.

After the match ended in a goalless stalemate after 90 minutes and a further half hour of extratime, Arubi stepped up and saved Hhlompho Kekana’s sudden death penalty, allowing Thembisani Nevhulamba to drive home the winner that sent TTM into raptures.

TTM will face Chippa United in the final on May 8.

Arubi was the undoubted Man of the Match, not only for his shootout heroics, but also for his brilliant performance in the match itself.

The Zimbabwean kept TTM in the contest throughout the 120 minutes with a string of world class saves.

Arubi produced a superb reflex save to deny a powerful Subusiso Vilakazi strike from close range shortly before the end of the regular 90 minutes.

He was at his brilliant best again midway through the first half of extra-time when he dived acrobatically to punch away a welltaken free-kick from Lyle Lakay.

With Sundowns pressing for the winner right until the very end,

Arubi was called in to action again when he blocked a Peter Shalulile volley from close range before Brian Onyango's header was ruled off-side.

"It was a tough game. We managed to do the right thing in the centre because that's always where they want to penetrate. I am happy. It will be my first final," Arubi said after the match.

Sundowns co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi also paid tribute to the veteran keeper.

"Credit to their goalkeeper, he was superb. He made some sterling saves. There were times when he was dead and buried but he got up again," Mngqithi said.

Both teams would have felt they deserved a penalty during the match with firstly Sundowns' Uruguayan striker Gaston Sirino being brought down in the box.

But the referee was not interested in the same manner that he waved play on later in the game when Tshakhuma were adamant they deserved a penalty after Thembisani Nevhulamba went down in the box following an Onyango tackle.

TTM produced a solid defensive effort to keep the defending champions at bay.

Downs dominated possession and were probably guilty of overelaborating their passes when a clean strike at goal might have been better.

They did have the best chance to take the lead when Themba Zwane found the ball at his feet in the small box with the TTM goal gaping midway through the second half. But instead of calmly slotting the ball home like he usually would, Zwane blasted his shot over the bar and the chance went abegging.

The league leaders were made to rue this miss as the Brazilians were defeated for the first time in 30 matches in all competitions.