Sundowns strike late to sink Chiefs
Neo Maema grabs the winner just after Chiefs think they have snatched a point.
Lucas Ribeiro of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal against Kaizer Chiefs. Picture: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images.
Mamelodi Sundowns edged past Kaizer Chiefs with a 2-1 win in a DStv Premiership encounter played at a packed Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday.
Lucas Ribeiro scored the only goal of the opening half in a game that was played on a patchy and uneven surface. Ashley Du Preez equalised late in the game and just when it looked like the game was heading for a draw, substitute Neo Maema scored a 90th minute winner.
Brandon Peterson made a number of good saves to keep his side in the game with Peter Shalulile and Thapelo Maseko both wasting glorious opportunities to put daylight between the two sides. It was a game Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki needed to show his detractors that he’s up for the task but his side came unstuck against a more spirited Sundowns team.
The game got off to a cagey start as both sides kept their cards close to their chest in the opening minutes. Amakhosi went into the break without a shot on target. The home team were the first to play their hand. Sundowns took the lead 21 minutes into the game after a mistake at the back by Edson Castillo, who was caught in possession by Themba Zwane. The ball fell to Shalulile, to who teed up Ribeiro to open the scoring and register his second goal of the campaign.
Whatever Ntseki said to his charges at the break seemed to spur them on as they came out with better intent in the second half. However, Shalulile should have doubled his side’s lead 5 minutes after the break after a low pass from Ribeiro, but the Namibian international failed to tap in home. The Soweto giants created a chance of their own four minutes later but Ranga Chivaviro’s diving header went narrowly wide from a Du Preez cross on the right.
Shalulile was again wasteful when he found himself one-on-one with Peterson but the Chiefs goalkeeper denied the striker – the ball fell to Maseko who misplaced his shot wide.
Du Preez looked to have bagged a point for his side but there was drama at the end as Peterson failed to make a routine save from Maema’s first-time shot in the last minute of regulation time.
