Slick Sundowns dispatch AmaZulu

Sundowns were the dominant side from the start, though AmaZulu were well organised at the back initially  by Josef Vukusic and limited Pitso Mosimane’s men to few first half opportunities.

In the 16^th minute, Gaston Sirino played a lovely through ball for Ali Meza, but he couldn’t quite get his shot away, and though the ball broke for Thapelo Morena, and he went down in the box, there wasn’t enough contact to earn Masandawana a penalty.

At the other end, some good hold up play from Bongi Ntuli set up Ovidy Karuru, but he was off-balance, and toe-poked his shot wide.

AmaZulu goalkeeper Neil Boshoff then had to be alert to punch away a Tebogo Langerman cross, before Sirino again set up Meza, and this time he dragged a shot well wide.

In the end, however, the Venezuelan did get a debut Sundowns goal, with a superbly worked effort on the stroke of half time. Thapelo Morena’s pass cut through the Usuthu defence and found Themba Zwane, who might have shot himself, but instead slid a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Meza, who slotted into an empty net.

Sundowns went further in front ten minutes into the second half, in what was a disastrous mix up between Booysen and Boshoff. Andile Jali lopped a fairly tame looking ball forward, but with Boshoff advancing to the edge of the area, Booysen headed the ball over his own goalkeeper and into the net.

Sundowns won a penalty in the 69th minute as Morena went down under Mbongeni Gumede’s challenge. Sirino stepped up and blasted past Boshoff to wipe out any lingering doubts about this result.

Sirino added another in the 77th minute as Zwane laid the ball off and the Uruguayan struck a sublime shot into the far corner of the net from the edge of the area.

And another Uruguayan, substitute Mauricio Affonso got his first Sundowns goal three minutes from time, heading in to seal the rout.

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