Sundowns held to a frustrating draw by 10-man Pyramids

Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a frustrating goalless draw at home by 10-man Pyramids FC in a CAF Champions League Group A encounter at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday.

ALSO READ: Pirates targeting more victories after Galaxy win

The Brazilains are still top of the group on goal difference with all the teams on four points after three rounds of matches. FC Nouadhibou and TP Mazembe played to a goalless draw in Mauritania on Saturday in the other match of Group A.

Pyramids defender Osama Galal who had until that point put in a solid shift was given his marching order in the 89^th minute for a second bookable offence but his teammates held on to bag an important away point.

The opening 45 minutes proved once again that champions league football is a lot tougher than the DStv Premiership. The Tshwane giants didn’t have it all their way in the first half which was a tactical battle between the two benches.

Pyramids defended well as soon as Sundowns entered their half and on occasions showed signs that they can also be a threat on the counter. The South African champions needed to up their intensity and move the ball a bit quicker if they were going to break down the Egyptian team’s defence.

The home team’s frustration and inability to break down Pyramids’s defence was compounded further when they lost defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil to injury after 20 minutes.

Masandawana coach Rulani Mokwena’s half time team talk clearly sparked into life after the restart. They were much more fluid in their play and found openings as they looked to break the deadlock against a stubborn Pyramids defence.

Peter Shalulile should have given his side the lead two minutes into the second stanza but he couldn’t shake off attention from Galal who cleared for a corner kick when was set one-on-one with Ahmed  Al Shenawy. The Namibian also put his glancing wide from the resultant spot kick when he found himself unmarked inside the box from a Marcelo Allende delivery.

Bafana Bafana international Fagrie Lakay wasted a glorious opportunity to hit Sundowns with a sucker punch. Lakay scuffed his effort after being teed up by Mostafa Fathi for what should have been an easy tap-in in the 71^st minute.

ALSO READ: Johnson lauds Mmodi after Chiefs win in Polokwane

Shalulile thought he had given Sundowns the lead with nine minutes left on clock but his celebrations were cut short after he was adjudged to have been in an offside position before putting the ball in the back of the net.

The draw will frustrate Mokwena and his charges who were looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Mazembe in Lubumbashi. Their next clash is a league encounter against the struggling Cape Town Spurs