Mamelodi Sundowns are bowing out of the MTN8 following a difficult penalty shootout in the second leg of the MTN8 semifinal on Saturday afternoon at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. This came after the two sides played out a 1-1 (2-2 on aggregate) stalemate.
The first test came from the hosts in the 2nd minute when Arthur Sales made a pass to Iqraam Rayners, who was on the left shoulder, but couldn’t connect with the ball properly.
After a titanic tussle and end-to-end football, the hosts broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Sales’ powerful shot from the right was blocked, but Rayners found the rebound to put his side ahead.
Pirates looked to retaliate soon after the opener, and they tested the Downs rearguard a few times. There was an effort inside the area that was a threat to the scoreline, but under the piled-up defence, Jayden Adams was able to head the ball away. Another threat came from a cutback effort, but the ball was cleared away. Despite the fight the Buccaneers put in the opening stanza, it is the hosts who went to the interval with a goal advantage.
Masandawana continued with the great momentum as Rayners opened the second half with a big threat to the Downs backline. A Powerful shot on the left flank hit the woodwork to deny him a brace.
Soon after, Ronwen Williams was tested when Pirates struck a shot from range, but he dived and managed to smack the ball away to deny the visitors an equaliser.
An unmarked Tashreeq Matthews decided to go for glory just before the hour mark from the left. His powerful shot was, however, tipped away by the goalkeeper. With a corner kick awarded to them, they almost doubled their advantage, but with a scramble in the box, they were unable to get it right.
A mix-up and miscommunication in the defence saw the away side equalising in the 73rd minute. The game suddenly became electric after the two sides struggled to make things happen in front of the goal.
Adams came close to snatching back the lead in the 80th minute, but the ball was cleared before he could find it, earning Bafana Ba Style a corner kick. The corner effort was headed by Thapelo Maseko towards the far post, but he missed the mark by a few inches.
In the final stages of added time, Maseko almost shook the Pirates’ defence, but his effort on the right flank was cleared away. After 90 minutes of play, the two sides were deadlocked and were forced to determine the side to advance to the final through the penalty shootout. After not being able to convert four of their penalty shots, the Pretoria-based side was knocked out of the competition.
Line up: Williams ©, Mdunyelwa, Cupido, Kekana, Lunga, Mokoena, Allende, Adams, Sales, Rayners, Matthews.
Subs: Onyango, Lebusa, Modiba, Aubaas, Mabena, Morena, Maseko, Mothiba, Shalulile.
SOURCED FROM THE CLUB’S WEBSITE.
