MAMELODI SUNDOWNS BOOK KE YONA SEMIFINAL SPOT
Mamelodi Sundowns edged out Cape Town City 2-1 in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal match at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
As a result, the Brazilians booked their place in the semifinals, while the Citizens bowed out of the lucrative competition.
The match got off to a lively start and it was the Citizens who threatened first through Ronald Putsche just three minutes into the game.
The Austrian midfielder unleashed a powerful shot which narrowly missed the target after being set up by Bradley Ralani.
Percy Tau, who was looking lively for Sundowns, tried his luck from range in the 14th minute, but his effort was well saved by City goalkeeper Sage Stephens.
The Brazilians looked dangerous on transition and they should have scored following a brilliant move by Khama Billiat in the 26th minute.
The Zimbabwe international beat his marker, before setting up Gaston Sirino, who hit the crossbar with Stephens well-beaten.
The Brazilians then hit the upright when Tau picked up Sibusiso Vilakazi in the box and the latter’s lovely deft touch rattled the crossbar in the 36th minute.
The momentum was with Sundowns in the closing stages of the first-half, but Pitso Mosimane’s men were very wasteful.
The score was 0-0 at the interval between City and Sundowns with the visitors having failed to convert their countless chances.
The Brazilians looked more lively in the second-half and they managed to break the deadlock through Tau eight minutes after the restart.
Billiat played a cross for South Africa international Tau, who fired past Stephens from close range to make it 1-0 to Sundowns.
The momentum was with the visitors and Hlompho Kekana made it 2-0 to Sundowns with a thunderous long-range which beat Stephens in the 62nd minute.
It was end-to-end stuff as the Citizens managed to level matters through Ralani, who scored a beautiful solo goal with 21 minutes left.
The former Helsingborg IF midfielder dribbled past his markers, before beating Sundowns keeper Denis Onyango making it 2-1 with a deflected shot.
It should have been 3-1 to Sundowns when Tau beat Stephens, but City defender Taariq Fielies made a clearance off the line in the closing stages of the game.
The Citizens launched late attacks in search of an equalizer with Ayanda Patosi’s header missing the target in the 88th minute.
However, Sundowns stood firm at the back and ultimately, they secured a 2-1 win over City on the day.
CT City (0) 1 (Ralani 69′)
Sundowns (0) 2 (Tau 53′, Kekana 69′)
CT City: Stephens, Mkhize, Fielies, Johannes, Edmilson, Putsche, Matsi (Juma 62′), Nodada, Ralani (Basadien 81′), Masina (Katerengga 46′), Patosi.
Sundowns: Onyango, Langerman, Morena, Arendse, Nascimento, Mabunda, Vilakazi, Kekana, Sirino (Madisha 87′), Billiat (Zwane 79′), Tau.
