Greek Queens are drenched
BALFOUR -– Title-chasing Croesus Ladies suffer a setback as they are beaten by a marauding Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies.
Not even a drenching downpour could dampen Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies’ spirit as they proved too good for title-chasing Croesus Ladies.
The Brazilian Ladies drubbed the home side 2–0 in their Sasol Women’s League game at the Northview High School grounds.
A win for Croesus, also known as the Greek Queens, would have propelled them to the second spot above JVW Ladies of Banyana Banyana skipper Janine van Wyk. Croesus still occupies third spot on goal difference after the JVW match against a Bluebirds Ladies team that seems to have finally found their footing, was rained off.
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Both teams started the game cautiously, sizing each other up but it was the Brazilian Ladies that settled down first and started knocking the ball around at the expense of the disjointed Greek Queens who failed to string together even a single pass.
The weak link for Croesus seemed to be Thembeka Mahaba who was supposed to be the ball supplier to livewire Lerato Ruele so she could make those telling runs on the left wing. Eventually, Mahaba was substituted by Mpho Rammala. Croesus defender Nthabiseng Ramasokotla was also lucky not to be substituted merely because of the back-up she got from her defensive colleagues.
Each time that she was outwitted by Brazilian right winger, Morisa Chuene, Ramasokotla was lucky that her defender teammates stifled the Chuene runs.
Sundowns finally found the back of the net in the 36th minute through the boot of the hardworking Motekanolo Mashego and the teams went to the halftime break with the Brazilian Ladies leading by the solitary goal.
In the second half, Sundowns continued where they left off and mounted numerous attacks on goal. The Brazilian keeper, Anoyi Dlamini, seemed to be on holiday on a sunny Mauritian beach as she was never tested in the entire 90 minutes. She turned on-pitch coach as she barked instruction after instruction to her teammates, even complimenting the referee when she thought he made a good call in their favour.
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The second goal for the Brazilian Ladies was an own-goal from the boot of Nthabiseng as she attempted to clear during a goalmouth scramble.
Sundowns could have easily increased their tally had the crossbar not come to the rescue of the Greek Queens and another attempt was parried over the crossbar for a corner by Croesus keeper, Philadelphia Mndaweni.
