Five talking points from Telkom Knockout final
Mamelodi Sundowns finally ended their domestic cup trophy drought when they lifted the Telkom Knockout trophy this past weekend.
Mauricio Affonso of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates goal with teammates during the 2019 Telkom Knockout final match between Maritzburg United and Mamelodi Sundowns at Moses Mabhida Stadium Durban, on 14 December 2019 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
The Brazilians beat Maritzburg United 2-1 in the final of the competition at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday to win their first domestic cup since 2015.
Phakaaathi takes a look at the five talking points from the Telkom Knockout final this past weekend:
A game of two halves
Maritzburg came into this game as the underdogs, but they took the game to Sundowns in the first half and it didn’t come as a surprise that they led 1-0 at the half-time break. The Team of Choice were unlucky not to have scored more goals. Coach Pitso Mosimane must have said something special at the half-time break, because they came out with guns blazing in the second half and they scored two goals.
Affonso shows his worth
Mauricio Affonso is proving to be the best buy for Sundowns this season. The lanky Uruguayan striker scored a brace for the Brazilians to help them win the Telkom Knockout.
Sirino the man for big occasions
Gaston Sirino raised his hand again when Sundowns wanted a saviour. With the Brazilians trailing Maritzburg, Sirino provided two assists for his Uruguayan counterpart Affonso to make sure that that Sundowns win the match.
Tinkler offers a ‘no comment’ on disallowed goal
Maritzburg saw their legitimate goal incorrectly disallowed by assistant referee Sibusiso Sisilani who ruled that Judas Moseamedi was in an offside position when he scored the goal, but TV replays showed that the striker was onside. Had the goal stood, the game would have likely gone to extra-time. When asked about the assistant referee’s mistake, Maritzburg coach Eric Tinkler rudely asked TV present Julia Stuart not to ask him about the disallowed goal.
Talkative Mosimane loses his voice
Pitso Mosimane, who has been vocal about other teams, in particular Kaizer Chiefs, benefiting from the referee’s mistakes, but in his post-match interview, the Sundowns coach chose to focus on his team winning the Telkom Knockout instead of commenting on the assistant referee’s error.
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