Gaston Sirino of Sundowns scores past Ricardo Goss of Bidvest Wits during the Absa Premiership 2019/20 football match between Bidvest Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban on 17 December 2019 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
FULL TIME: Wits 1 Sundowns 1. The spoils are shared in Durban, after an excellent game, but the result really suits neither of these teams, and Kaizer Chiefs look all-the-more likely to win the Absa Premiership at a canter.
90+3 – Phathushedzo Nange is booked for Wits after a cynical tackle.
79 – Hlatshwayo heads Hotto’s corner just over the bar!
77 – Sameehg Doutie comes on for Wits in place of Elias Pelembe.
71 – Kekana’s cross finds Morena but instead of shooting, he takes a touch, takes his time, and sends in a poor cross that Wits clear.
65 – Motjeka Madisha hits the upright! A corner is swung in by Sirino and Madisha rises highest, his header beating Goss but bouncing back off the woodwork.
61 – That is Motupa’s last contribution to the game as the Wits goalscorer is replaced by Mxolisi Machupu.
59 – Superb control from Motupa, and a slide rule pass to release Hotto, who probably should have shot, but tried to play a ball across the area where they was no Wits player arriving.
58 – Sirino finds Mkhulise who goes round Goss, but from a tight angle his shot is cleared by Hlatshwayo!
54 – Now Hotto fires well wide for Wits, as they finally launch an attack in this second half.
53 – Wonderful move from Sundowns. Zwane finds Mkhulise who skips to the byline and returns the ball to Zwane, but he misses the target!
52 – Domingo is booked for hanging onto Jali’s shirt and refusing to let go. Jali did well to contain his temper.
50 – Thapelo Morena with a golden chance for Sundowns, taking a pass from Zwane but firing too close to Goss, who palms the ball away.
47 – Sundowns immediately go on the attack and Lyle Lakay gets down the left and crosses, but Affonso can’t quite get there.
46 – The second half kicks off!
Half Time – Wits 1 Sundowns 1. A scoreline that, right now, is good only for Kaizer Chiefs. Both teams need to go for it in the second half and it should make for another cracking 45 minutes. Join us then!
GOAL! Wits 1 Sundowns 1. Wits equalise on the stroke of half time! A brilliant cross from Hotto comes in and Gift Motupa thunders an unstoppable header past Onyango.
40 – A good run from Zitha Macheke gets him to the byline, but Onyango is off his line and gathers at the Wits right back’s feet. The Ugandan goalkeeper has been flawless so far.
36 – Sirino’s cross is headed down by Mauricio Affonso into the path of Themba Zwane, but he slices his effort horribly off-target. A rare lack of composure from Zwane, failing to even test Goss.
33 – A lucky break for Wits as Hlompho Kekana’s fine pass releases Mkhulise, but the assistant referee raises his flag for offside. Replays suggest Mkhulise was onside and was denied a clear run at Ricardo Goss’ goal.
31- Young Sphelele Mkhulise with a tackle from behind on Thulani Hlatshwayo that might have got an angry reaction from another player, but the Bafana Bafana and Wits captain simply gives the Sundowns starlet a look and then a hug!
22- Domingo so close for Wits! Deon Hotto’s cross and Domingo goes for the volley but puts it wide. Surely he could have taken a touch there?
16 – Immediate chance for Wits to draw level. Pelembe’s cross find’s Haashim Domingo, but Onyango makes another fine save, diving to his right!
15 – GOAL! Wits 0 Sundowns 1 – That is quite brilliant from Andile Jali. The Sundowns midfielder destroys Wits down their left hand side, surging past Thabang Monare and Buhle Mkhwanazi, and then crossing for Themba Zwane, who scuffs his effort, but Gaston Sirino is on hand to drill home.
3 – Chance for Wits! Corner taken short, Elias Pelembe crosses low for Thulani Hlatshwayo, and his shot is well tipped round the post by Dennis Onyango. From the resulting corner, Mkhwanazi heads wide.
1- And we’re off. Jerome Damon gets proceedings underway at the Moses Mabhida.
Wits play Sundowns at “home” in Durban because the Premier Soccer League have declared their stadium unfit for matches of this magnitude. Gavin Hunt’s side, in fifth in the table, have plenty of games in hand on all those above them, and victory over Sundowns and Cape Town City this week will put them in great shape to launch an attack on leaders Kaizer Chiefs in 2020.
Sundowns, meanwhile, won the Telkom Knockout last weekend, but need to start putting together their own run of league wins to put pressure on Amakhosi. We’ll be with you shortly with the 7.30pm kick off, but for now, here are the two teams:
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