Sundowns made to sweat for three points at Cape Town City
Goals from Lyle Lakay and Keletso Makgalwa ensured that Mamelodi Sundowns snatched all three points against Cape Town City as they beat the Mother City-based side 2-0 in the Cape Town Stadium in a DStv Premiership match on Wednesday night.
Lyle Lakay of Mamelodi Sundowns waiting for Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki to call his name. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images.
Manqoba Mngqithi and his co-head coach, Rhulani Mokwena decided to bench captain Hlompho Kekana, citing tactical reasons for why they the 35-year-old started on the bench for the first time since May 12, 2018, in a league match against now GladAfrica Championship side Free State Stars.
Lakay scored the opener for the visitors in the 9th minute, displaying what they have been working on in the training ground as he scored from a well-worked free-kick routine. Downs saw a lot of the ball in the opening stages of the game as Peter Shalulile was in the thick of things.
The Namibian international almost got his name on the score-sheet in the 23rd minute when he received a delightful ball from Rivaldo Coetzee, but Shalulile narrowly missed the target. Three minutes later, the Sundowns striker was back at it when he tried an overhead kick but failed in execution and referee Masixole Bambisa adjudged him to have committed a foul and booked him.
Shalulile did not return for the second stanza after he took a knock on his back in an aerial duel with Abbubaker Mobara. Khuliso Mudau took his place. The Brazilians went on to dominate the second half and eventually scored the goal that sealed all three points.
Keletso Makgalwa did what he usually does, and that is to come off the bench and find the back of the net as he has established himself as a super-sub. However, his goal came at the expense of Andile Jali who looked to have pulled his hamstring while on the run towards Peter Leeuwenburgh’s goal. Jali somehow managed to play the final pass before he was stretchered off the pitch.
Much to the delight of Mngqithi and company, Jali slowly walked to the stands, suggesting his hamstring injury might not be too serious. In the end, Jali was voted Man-of-the-Match and after three rounds of the DStv Premiership, Sundowns remain the only team to have not conceded a goal as they sit level on points at the top with Baroka FC and Swallows FC.
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