Mamelodi Sundowns Hand Hapless Orlando Pirates a 4-1 Defeat in Tshwane
- Mamelodi Sundowns are yet to suffer a defeat as they defeated Orlando Pirates 4-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals
- The Brazilians, Mamelodi Sundowns have claimed two wins over the Buccaneers, Orlando Pirates across all competitions this season
- Following the win over Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns will now face Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals on Sunday
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Evergreen Mamelodi Sundowns continued with their winning run as they demolished Orlando Pirates 4-1 in an entertaining Nedbank Cup quarter-final clash at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Thursday evening.
Pirates were out to end Sundowns’ unbeaten run as they have only lost one match this season, a loss that came at the hands of Bloemfontein Celtic in the MTN8, but they could not stop the reigning Ke Yona champions.
The Brazilians started as the better side between the two where they dominated the proceedings with silky touches and possession in the opening 10 minutes.
Two minutes later, striker Peter Shalulile continued where he left off against Chippa United and found the back of the after receiving a well-delivered ball by Rivaldo Coetzee to beat Pirates goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands. 1-0 to the hosts.
The Buccaneers made numerous attempts to break down the Brazilians midfield and defence, but they couldn’t go through as Rushine de Reuck did well to stop Tshegofatso Mabasa.
In the 29th minute, midfielder Gaston Sirino combined well with Shalulile by playing a one-two pass before the Namibian beat Sandilands but he was denied by Thulani Hlatshwayo who made a crucial block at the last moment.
Source: Twitter
After struggling to get into the groove of things, coach Josef Zinnbauer’s charges managed to pull one back to equalise after the half-hour mark.
Mabasa scored in the 33rd minute after he was spotted by Gabadinho Mhango with a defence-splitting pass following a wonderful link-up play between defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza and winger Deon Hotto.
Either side could have grabbed the lead before the interval as Sirino failed to chip Sandilands while Mhango’s effort sailed wide off the crossbar. It was 1-1 at half-time in Tshwane.
With both Premier Soccer League giants deadlocked at 1-all in the first stanza, Masandawana capitalized on a sleepy Bucs defence upon their return.
It was Themba Zwane who doubled the hosts’ lead when he sliced through the visiting defence before unleashing a shot from a tight angle in the 49th minute.
Zinnbauer was forced to ring changes after the hour mark and rested Mabasa for Vincent Pule whilst Manqoba Mngqithi introduced Hlompho Kekana for Lebogang Maboe.
Defender Mosa Lebusa nearly shocked his technical bench when he came close to scoring an own goal but his goal-bound interception was saved by goalkeeper Denis Onyango who read the situation well in the 71st minute.
Lesedi Kapinga became a super substitute when he stunned Sandilands from close range, the former Black Leopards striker finished to make it 3-1 in the 78th minute, thus cementing Sundowns' spot in the semi-finals.
Source: Twitter
However, the Tshwane giants were not done in front of the goal when Kekana unleashed his trademark shots from a distance and beat Sandilands, making it 4-1 with four minutes to go.
Sundowns managed to hold on to their massive victory and they will not face Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in the semi-finals on Sunday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Sundowns made history as the first South African club team to win 20 consecutive matches.
The record had been held by the Kaizer Chiefs who had previously won 19 games in a row as Sundowns remain unbeaten and have become a dominant force in South African football following their 2-1 win over Chippa United on Monday.
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Source: Briefly News
