Cassius Mailula was all smiles after scoring his first Toronto goal in a 5-0 win. Picture: Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images
Former Mamelodi Sundowns striker Cassius Mailula finally scored his first goal in his first ever start for Toronto FC on Wednesday, netting in a 5-0 win over Simcoe County Rovers in the Canadian Championship.
Mailula calmly turned the ball home in the 30th minute to put his side 2-0 up, given a chance in the Toronto starting line up by head coach John Herdman, who has given Mailula just 11 minutes off the bench in this season’s Major League Soccer campaign in the US.
Mailula was then shown dancing in front of the home fans after the match.
The Canadian Championship is a knockout competition, with Toronto now reaching the quarterfinals. The winner gets a place in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The 22 year-old Mailula may well need this tournament for game time as Toronto head coach Herdman has already suggested there are too many strikers ahead of him in the MLS pecking order.
Mailula’s move has previously also been criticised by Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos for this same reason.
The Limpopo-born striker’s next match with Toronto is an MLS match at Orlando City on Saturday.
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