Teboho Mokoena (centre) celebrates after scoring Sundowns' opening goal. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix
The Mamelodi Sundowns record-breaking train rolled past Chippa United with a 2-0 DStv Premiership victory at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Teboho Mokoena and Tashreeq Matthews were on the scoresheet to secure all three points in Atteridgeville. Sundowns remain on course to claim a record-extending seventh successive premiership title.
The win puts them 12 points ahead of second-placed Orlando Pirates, who outfought Kaizer Chiefs 3-2 in a Soweto Derby in an earlier kick off. Downs have three games in hand on the Buccaneers.
The Brazilians have now stretched their unbeaten run to 41 games in the league. Their last defeat came in 2022 against neighbours SuperSport United, a team they play next in Tuesday’s Tshwane derby.
The win came at a cost for Masandawana who lost their leading goalscorer Lucas Ribeiro to a hamstring injury 11 minutes into the second half. It’s unlikely that he will recover in time for the grudge game against Matsatsantsa a Pitori.
Chippa will also be worried after star goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s game ended prematurely with what looked like a knee injury.
Sundowns were the quickest of the blocks and they made their early dominance count when they took the lead in the eighth minute.
Mokoena pounced on a weak clearance by the Chippa defence that failed to deal with a corner kick. His powerful low shot from outside box gave Nwabali no chance.
The home team didn’t have it all their way in the opening exchanges as the Gqeberha-based side squandered two good opportunities to equalise through Sinoxolo Kwayiba and Bienvenu Eva Nga who were both denied by Ronwen Williams.
Ribeiro and Peter Shalulile were also wasteful as the game went into the break with Sundowns holding a slender lead.
The second stanza was more of the same with Sundowns probing and the Chilli Boys happy to play on the counter.
In the end, Rulani Mokwena will be happy with the win. Matthews scored his first goal for the club after his arrival in January.
Matthews, who was once on the books of German giants Borrusia Dortmund joined Masandawana from Swedish outfit IK Sirius.
The 23-year-old replaced Thembinkosi Lorch late in the game. He sealed the game after latching on to a through ball to fire past Loyd Kazapuwa, who had replaced Nwabali.