Yellow is the colour, winning is the game!
Mamelodi Sundowns captured their eighth Premier Soccer League title, the third under coach Pitso Mosimane, on Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 trouncing of Ajax Cape Town at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.
And the Brazilians fans, resplendent in the club’s yellow tops celebrated in dance and song as their team displayed remarkable fortitude to come back from an early setback and win comfortably.
Ajax stunned the hosts by going ahead in the second minute via captain Musa Lebusa and it appeared as though Muhsin Ertugral’s Urban Warriors would derail Sundowns’ plans of reclaiming the title they won two seasons ago.
But they are a classy side Mosimane’s team and they responded quickly with Khama Billiat levelling matters on 11 minutes after a good cross from Percy Tau on the right.
Ao fole moya waka... @Masandawana celebrate their eighth title victory @IOLsport pic.twitter.com/jUWEyogslH
— Matshelane Mamabolo (@Tshiliboy) April 28, 2018
Tau, no doubt the front-runner for the PSL Footballer of the Year, lead Sundowns’ attack with some aplomb as he enjoyed being fed some fantastic passes by captain Hlompho Kekana.
Before the equaliser, Kekana had asked questions of Jody February with a good shot that the Ajax goalkeeper did well to save.
February showed his class with a spectacular tip over to deny Tau who had curled the ball with his left foot towards the top far post.
Billiat had a chance for the second but his low shot from the edge of the box was deflected away from goals.
As it was, Ajax could also have taken the lead by former Sundowns man Yannick Zakri blasted his shot against the upright with Denis Onyango well-beaten.
Then February kicked Billiat karate-style after the Zimbabwean star had lobbed the ball over him and referee Eketsang Setloboko had no choice but to point to the spot.
Ricardo Nascimento made no mistake from the spot, though February dived the right way and got his fingertips onto the ball only to be beaten by the power of the shot.
It was soon 3-1 to the hosts, with Sibusiso Vilakazi the scorer this time following a fantastic passing move involving no less than four players that started in Sundowns’ own half.
CONGRATULATIONS to @Masandawana🙌🏿👏🏿
The 2017/18 #AbsaPrem CHAMPIONS 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) April 28, 2018
This was the match over as a contest, and try as they could after the break to get back into it, the relegation-haunted Capetonians just couldn’t find the way through.
And with Cape Town City beating Orlando Pirates down in the Mother City, local elite football’s premier trophy was once again won by the team in yellow and their fans celebrated in their typical fashion – in song and drum beat ala the Brazilians they are nicknamed after.
@Tshiliboy
IOL Sport