DURBAN – Mamelodi Sundowns are where they want to be: at the summit of the DStv Premiership standings! This comes after the champions defeated AmaZulu 1-0 at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night in the opening game of the league season.
Despite being played behind closed doors, this match was expected to be a thriller given that the two teams had finished first and second last term, but it didn’t quite live up to expectations, especially in the first half.
Benni McCarthy’s team talk during half time appears to have done the trick as Usuthu started the better of the two teams. But Sundowns rediscovered their mojo, and bagged their first three points of the new campaign.
Sundowns started this match with the same starting line-up that defeated Kaizer Chiefs in the quarter-final of the MTN8 via the lottery of penalties, while AmaZulu had three changes to the team that lost to Cape Town City in the Wafa Wafa cup.
In the opening stages of the game, the champions dominated the lion’s share of possession with their build up. But that wasn’t effective, given that Usuthu closed the pockets of spaces in their own half and were quick to come out of the blocks.
Haashim Domingo, though, will feel that he should have found an early breakthrough for the Brazilians after his half volley from outside the box unceremoniously sailed wide of goal. But albeit that missed opportunity, they continued to press.
Usuthu, though, who were happy to sit back and allow Sundowns to come at them, also gained momentum with the progression of the game but there was little to no supply for Bonginkosi Ntuli who had replaced striker Lehlohonolo Majoro up front.
But with traffic in the engine room, thanks to the duels between Sundowns’ duo Mothobi Mvala and Rivaldo Coetzee against Makhehlene Makhaula, goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene played a high-long ball that found Aubrey Modiba up front.
Modiba set-free a running Themba Zwane who found himself in a good position to take a shot at goal after his marker slipped but the latter took long and his final shot proved futile. But Sundowns' patient build-up finally paid off before the break.
After a quick interplay between Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba, Domingo set-up Shalulile with a cheeky pass, but the former was brought down inside the box by Thembela Sikhakhane before referee Victor Hlungwani pointed to the penalty spot.
Zwane stepped up and sent goalie Veli Mothwa the wrong way. But it was the visitors that had the first scoring chance of the second half, with midfielder Siphesihle Maduna attempting to catch out Mweene with a lobbed effort from the right flank.
But the veteran goalie tipped the shot over the crossbar. The resultant corner-kick saw Tapelo Xoli put his glancing header wide of goal, while substitute Majoro failed to equalise for Usuthu after his shot was cleared off the line by Rushine De Reuck.
IOL Sport