Sundowns fire a magnificent seven in Champions League stroll

Mamelodi Sundowns were in cruise control on Sunday as they all-but booked their spot in the next round of Caf Champions League qualifying, with a 6-0 hammering of Seychelle’s La Passe at Loftus Stadium.

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The return leg, also in Tshwane, should be a formality against the island nation part-timers, who resorted to damage limitation in the second half, but by then they had already been torn to pieces.

Sundowns were ahead with barely a minute gone, as Grant Kekana headed in Aubrey Mobida’s cross, with La Passe’s defenders giving the word ‘statuesque’ new meaning.

The Seychelles side play in a non-professional league in their home country, with their goalkeeper working as a pastry chef, and Dave Mussard probably wished he was back in the kitchen making chocolate gateaux as goal after goal flew past him.

In the 12^th minute, Uruguayan Gaston Sirino fired home to double Sundowns’ lead. Sirino was enjoying the freedom of Loftus, with this ‘home’ game for La Passe being played in Tshwane, because there was not a suitable stadium in the island nation.

In the 18^th minute, Sirino won a free kick after gliding past Hiroy Jupiter and from his cross, a combination of Jupiter and Mothobi Mvala bundled the ball past Mussard.

Most surprising about the next 22 minutes or so was that Sundowns didn’t score again, but Aubrey Modiba decided enough was enough in the 40^th minute, slamming a brilliant shot into the top corner that most goalkeepers would have got nowhere near.

And on the stroke of half time, Sundowns got their fifth as Mvala chested the ball down for Sirino to complete his brace.

Sundowns added another in the 59^th minute, Sirino’s lay off was slotted into the net by Sipho Mbule, with the substitute’s first touch of the match giving him his first ever goal for Masandawana.

The game rather drifted away after that but one could excuse Sundowns, in a busy season, for taking their foot off the pedal. This was very much job done.