Sundowns too good for Gallants

In a season when they are setting all kinds of records, the Brazilians added another to their impressive collection at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Saturday night.

Sundowns — already having won the local Premiership title a record six times in a row with the least number of matches (23) — scored the quickest goal of the league season. Thapelo Morena opened the scoring on 25 seconds to set his team en route to an easy victory that could well have been by a wider margin.

Straight from the kickoff, Sundowns stole possession and made it into Gallants territory and Themba Zwane lofted the ball over the defence to find Morena who slotted past Washington Arubi with ease.

The talismanic midfielder was in inspired form, spraying some killer passes that should have been used better to kill the match off as a contest before the break. But that Gallants still had a fighting chance going into the second half was because the Sundowns forwards appeared to have left their shooting boots at home.

Peter Shalulile should have made it 2-0 on 19 minutes but the Namibian striker uncharacteristically shot straight at Arubi in a one-on-one situation having been sent through by a Zwane magical pass.

Mshishi did not allow that failure to discourage him and soon he was dinking the ball over the Gallants defence to find Sipho Mbule unmarked in the box. But the bulky midfielder attempting to control the ball when going for a header would have probably yielded a better outcome.

The misses gave Gallants some confidence and what had threatened to be the equivalent of a stroll in the park for the record-breaking Brazilians became a contest, the home side making some threatening forays into their adversaries’ half.

But Sundowns’ superiority came to the fore early in the second half, Zwane — no doubt tired of seeing his work not being put to good use — took things into his own hands and scored the second goal.

A corner kick taken by Teboho Mokoena found Shalulile whose attempt was parried back into play by Washington Arubi in the Gallants goals.

Zwane was on hand to put the ball into the net and that was all she wrote as Sundowns extended their points tally for the season to 69 points to leave themselves in line to set a new record. They now need to beat Maritzburg United in their final match of the season to break the 71 points record they set back in the 2015-16 season and on the strength of their showing here and all season, you’ve got to bet on them doing just that.

Gallants on the other hand are in danger of getting the chop, being positioned 14th with 29 points — just three points above bottom-placed Maritzburg and with the same number as Chippa United who occupy the play-off spot.

The two sides now have continental assignments, both set to play in the semifinals where Sundowns are away to Wydad Casablanca in the CAF Champions League and Gallants away to Tanzania’s Young Africans.

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