It was match-day 15 in the Betway Premier Soccer League, and a top of the table clash was on the cards with table toppers Mamelodi Sundowns hosting chasers Orlando Pirates at the Loftus Versfeld stadium in a sold-out encounter in the capital Pretoria.
The Brazilians as Mamelodi Sundowns are affectionately known, coming from a midweek Tshwane derby triumph against rivals SuperSport United were under pressure to complete the week on a high with a clash against nemesis from Soweto the Buccaneers Orlando Pirates.
If the atmosphere at the FNB stadium during the Soweto derby the past weekend was electric, then the one at Loftus was purely as consuming as fans of both teams turned out in huge numbers with a 50 thousand plus crowd that competed to paint the match venue with their colors.
With bragging rights on the line and also considering both teams were coming off derby triumphs with Orlando Pirates having put Kaizer Chiefs to the sword the previous weekend, coupled with the title race between them, the stage was set for an enthralling encounter.
For coach Miguel Cardoso it was an opportunity for him as well to get a feel of the atmosphere such encounters bring and prove his worthy he did as Masandawana put on a tactical masterclass that put the sea robbers’ sailing off course. As early as the 13th minute the Brazilians found themselves ahead after a set piece dispatched by Chilean Marcelo Allende found Grant Kekana unmarked on the far-right flank of the Pirates goal and made no mistake with a fine finish that the Buccaneers goalie tried to make a futile save though the ball had already crossed the line.
It was just the beginning, as with a buzzing Loftus Versfeld sold-out crowd, it was a case of when the Brazilians would send their fans into delirium, and 14 minutes from the opening goal Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro ran almost half of the entire pitch with the ball glued to his feet as he charged towards the Pirates goal, unleashing a beauty into the far left of Sipho Chaine who was beaten all systems out, sending the entire Loftus into rapture.
Sundowns were keen to make a statement going into the break leading 2nil, and as the 2nd half came alive Orlando Pirates were keen to reset things and comeback into the game as the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half they pushed and were rewarded with a goal in the 56th minute after a deflected shot from Hotto. It would take 2 minutes before Ribeiro came back to haunt Pirates once more with a clinical finish from the edge of the box that beat Chaine on his far-left side once again.
The crowd was surely getting a value for their money, and it was a good statement of South African football and Mamelodi Sundowns weren’t just done yet as Teboho Mokoena in the 78th minute unleashed a thunderbolt from a Ribeiro pass that compounded Pirates’ misery on the day making it 4-1.
The minutes that followed were of game management as Mamelodi Sundowns took their foot off the pedal as the clock was winding down, and as the match official blew the final whistle coach Cardoso had etched his name into Mamelodi Sundowns football folklore by beating archrivals Pirates.
Mamelodi Sundowns ensured with their victory they maintain daylight between them and their closets rivals in the league title race with 9 points separating them, with Pirates having played a game less than the Tshwane giants.
KABO YELLOW MASANDAWANA as Tshwane comes out tops in the battle of the Capitals.
