Port Elizabeth - Mamelodi Sundowns beat Ajax Cape Town 4-3 on penalties to win the Nedbank Cup at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth, on Saturday.
After the sides failed to produce a goal in 90 minutes of regulation time and a further half an hour of extra time, the Cup final was decided in the cruellest method of the game with the Brazilians coming out on top.
Hlompo Kekana missed the second penalty of the shootout to hand Ajax the advantage which they held until their last attempt of the five with a 3-2 lead. Abbubaker Mobara stepped up to take the penalty to win the cup for his side but smashed his attempt into the crossbar.
Thabo Ntethe made it 3-3 with the fifth attempt for Sundowns to send the shootout into sudden death.
Franklin Cale missed from the spot in sudden death for Ajax, and Bongani Zungu promptly drove the ball home for Sundowns to take the title.
Earlier, in the sixth minute of the contest, Nathan Paulse caught Sundowns on the counter and the early pass for the Ajax forward allowed him to run into the box unmarked, but his shot was whipped across the face of goal as the Brazilians were let off the hook.
Sundowns began to threaten and had a great chance to open the scoring with just under 20 minutes gone in the encounter. A Teko Modise free kick into the box was met by Zungu who rose above the Ajax defence but could not find the target with his free header.
After a number of shots in succession for Sundowns in the 24th minute, the final attempt fell to Khama Billiat on the edge of the box but he could not keep the ball down as his effort sailed into the crowd.
Kekana had the next good chance from a free-kick just outside the box in the 28th minute, but his powerful dipping shot was just over the crossbar.
Two minutes before half-time, Paulse had another golden opportunity to open the scoring when he reeled off a first time shot running into the area but Sundowns defender captain Alje Schut deflected the ball wide with an outstretched leg.
Six minutes after the interval, Sundowns had the best chance of the afternoon with Billiat firing in a low piledriver but Anssie Jaakkola produced a fine save to keep the sides level.
ANA