Mamelodi Sundowns rout Kaizer Chiefs to win seventh consecutive league title
Mamelodi Sundowns rout Kaizer Chiefs to win seventh consecutive league title
Ole, ole, ole, they are champions once again! And they did it with a swagger, embarrassing their opponents in their own backyard.
Mameldoi Sundowns won a seventh successive league title courtesy if a consumately easy 5-1 victory over a ten-man Kaizer Chiefs at he FNB Stadium Thursday night.
Youngster Tashreeq Matthews helped himself to a brace in between a deflected maiden DStv Premiership goal by Matias Esquivel before Lucas Ribeiro stayed in contention for the golden boot with a strike right at the end of the match. And then in time added on for stoppages, Thembinkosi Lorch added a fifth.
Mduduzi Shabalala scored Chiefs’ consolation goal from the penalty spot late in before Ribeiro’s strike.
On a night when Rulani Mokwena started with a second string side, expectations were that a Chiefs outfit fresh from a win against SuperSport United would make a contest of this tie.
But when Given Msimango earned a red card for a professional foul on Ribeiro who was through on goal, you knew it was going to be an uphill battle for the top eight spot seeking Amakhosi.
Cavin Johnson’s men looked to be holding their own as they managed to keep Sundowns at bay, the match going to halftime goalless.
But such is the quality of this Sundowns side that they were always going to find a way.
And when they did, the floodgates opened up to drown Chiefs in an avalanche of some sublime goals.
Matthews got the ball rolling with an easy tap in following a fantastic through pass by Ribeiro.
Esquivel then made it 2-0 albeit with the help of a deflection by Zitha Kwinika, the Argentinian having made a brilliant mazy run to get into the box last a somewhat static Chiefs defence.
It was soon 3-0 via Matthews but Chiefs pulled one back from the spot through Shabalala who scored the winner over SuperSport United last weekend.
Chiefs though were particularly porous in defence on the night and Ribeiro helped himself to a 12th league goal on 90 minutes to reduce the gap between him and leading scorer Iqram Rayners to just three.
Lorch sealed a fantastic championship-winning evening with a headed goal as Sundowns equalled their best score over Chiefs.
And wild celebrations that ensued at the final whistle between the Sundowns players and their fans as they sang joyously.
@Tshiliboy
IOL Sport