Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a goalless draw by Polokwane City in an Absa Premiership game at the Loftus Verfeld Stadium in Tshwane on Tuesday night.

The draw sees the Brazilians remain fifth on the league standings, while Rise and Shine move up to position six on the table.

The Brazilians dominated the game from the start with forwards Percy Tau and Sibusiso Vilakazi looking lively in the final third as the home side looked for early goal.

Vilakazi should have put Sundowns into the lead seven minutes into the game, but he scuffed his effort and Polokwane goalkeeper George Chigova collected with ease.

Two minutes later, Tau was also guilty for missing a golden opportunity with Chigova looking on. The forward somehow headed the ball wide of the target from close range.

The Rise and Shine defence were struggling to contain the Brazilians attack and in the 19th minute, Colombian striker Leonardo Castro saw his header missing the target.

Anele Ngcongca, the Sundowns full-back, pushed forward twelve minutes later, and he played a cut back pass which flashed across the face of goal with the visitors’ defence exposed.

Anthony Laffor, who had replaced injured Vilakazi, was denied by an alert Chigova in the 43rd minute. The Zimbabwean keeper ensured that the first-half ended goalless.

Polokwane played much better in the opening stages of the second-half. Soumahoro Bangaly made a great block in the 55th minute as pressure mounted on the Sundowns defence.

Kennedy Mweene, the Sundowns keeper, was finally seriously tested on the hour-mark and he pulled off a magnificent save to deny Polokwane striker Walter Musona.

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane responded by introducing Yannick Zakri in the 71st minute for Castro, who was tightly marked by the Rise and Shine defence most of the time.

Ivorian winger Zakri nearly gave Sundowns the lead with less than 15 minutes left on the clock, but Chigova punched the ball away to deny the home side once again.

Tau was presented with a golden opportunity to snatch a late winner for Sundowns in the 80th minute, but he fired straight at Chigova, who gathered with ease.

Sundowns had more chances in the dying minutes of the game, but they could not convert them and ultimately, the match ended in a goalless stalemate.

Sundowns 0

Polokwane 0

Sundowns: Mweene, Hachi, Nascimento, Soumahoro, Ngcongca, Kekana, Mohomi (Modise 54′), Vilakazi (Laffor 43′), Zwane, Tau, Castro (Zakri 71′).

Polokwane: Chigova, Semenya, Klaas, Tshilo, Mbonani, Phiri, Ndou (Jembula 49′), Manaka, Mngomezulu (Segolela 82′), Maluleke, Musona (Kanyenda 72′.

This article was sourced from the PSL website.