Mamelodi Sundowns have had to share spoils against Kaizer Chiefs after they played out to a goalless draw on Wednesday night at a sold-out FNB Stadium.
The meeting was a cagey affair with end-to-end football, but it is the hosts who pulled the first trigger very early in the game when Malibongwe Khoza played it short to Ronwen Williams as he made a clearance, but Williams made a quick run to get the ball ahead of the Chiefs’ attack.
Downs’ first warning to the Chiefs’ defenders came from Arthur Sales’ counterattack just outside the area. He managed to get the ball to Tashreeq Matthews, who stabbed the ball, but his effort sailed over the bar.
Amakhosi were applying pressure on their opponents, and that pressure saw them almost teeing one up through a header. Luckily, Williams – who was the busier goalkeeper between the two – was equal to the task as he cushioned the ball.
The hosts were dispossessing Masandawana on the build-up, and from range, they tested Williams again, but he managed to tip the powerful effort away. Seconds later on the other end, Mokoena had the same opportunity with the long-range effort but was smacked away by the Chiefs’ goalkeeper. Just before the break, TashreeqMatthews, from the left flank, fired a shot but was cushioned by the goalkeeper. The two sides went into the interval goalless.
Bafana Ba Style conceded a set-piece in the opening minutes of the second stanza through a handball just outside the box, but the free-kick effort was not good enough to convert a goal.
After an error from the Glamour Boys, Sales won the ball and made a long pass to Iqraam Rayners, who made a run to the box with the ball. His efforts were blocked, but Sales found the ball from range and fired a shot which was agonisingly close to finding the back of the net.
The hosts were lurking in the danger area just after the hour mark, but Keanu Cupid stabbed the ball out to deny Chiefs. A few minutes later, he made another excessive interception to keep the scoreline at 0-0.
In the final stages of the match, both sides looked for an opener, but with the strong defence on both ends, they were unable to convert any goals and had to settle for a point apiece.
How we lined up: Williams ©, Morena, Cupido, Khoza, Basadien, Mokoena, Allende, Adams, Sales, Rayners, Matthews.
Subs: Onyango, Lebusa, Modiba, Mdunyelwa, Aubaas, Mabena, Mothiba, Letlhaku, Shalulile.
It seems we’ve got the new webmaster not the old one,this one is perfectly I must applaud him/her.
Coming to the game I think We need to buy four to five good players we can’t rely only on middlefield of Mokoena,Adams and Allende the whole season and another thing we are playing balls sideways and too many backpasses a lot we are not offensive I don’t know why are sticking to that because it doesn’t yield results.
Pls coach use two strikers to help Rayners and Mathews must come later and the the referee was biased towards us today I mean Mothibi held on the box by Miguel but the turned a blind eye that was a penalty for us that infringement.
Maybe I don’t know soccer but Mabena to me is not make sure Kutlwano is much better than him,anyway not bad performance let’s hope for a much improvement next game against Stellies.
I fully agree with you this time member. Our midfield is dead, is always being dominated. Adams has become so slow and sluggish, I wonder what’s happening with him. The team is very thin and unbalanced. The coach might have shot himself in the foot by trimming the squad, and unfortunately he still wants to trim. You can’t complain of fatigue when you’re the one who trimmed the squad. Both Pirates and Chiefs have over 30 players, and he wants 26. Our youngsters are useless, with Lethlaku I understand, because the boy has been denied an opportunity to play overseas. He’s never been the same since the team rejected offers for him. I’ve never rated Mabena and Malibongwe, though Mali is way much better. What was he doing with that foul on Lilepo in the dying minutes? Pirates youngsters come in and impress from the day one, perhaps the training techniques they’re using at Pirates are of the highest standards
Thanks editor 4 an early update about the results,this is what we have bn crying abt.Its such a shame 2 see Cardoso slowly killing our team,I don’t think there’s a miracle here Cardoso mst leave our beautiful Sundowns.I mean we were outclassed by Chiefs in last 20 minutes.I mean our coach jst selects a defender then his 1st substitute is a defender when there’s no co-ordination in midfield.I mean mean Modiba,Mdunyelwa and Aaubas when u need a goal how r they going 2 change the complexion of the game.Then look at Chiefs substitutes.du Preez,Sirino and Sundowns was on the back foot.Cardoso jst make substitutions aimlessly without any purpose.What made Cardoso to allow such an exodus of midfielders with no replacement.Simple Cardoso must while still early.U wonder why Sundowns fired Mngqithi and Rhulani jst 2 subject us 2 this clueless fool.
Morning masandawana, letlaku is better than mabena and how can he field mothiba instead of shalulile. this guy hate shalulile and i don’t know why, yoooh we don’t have coach
The wheels are starting to come out. The foundation of Pitso and Rulani has been dismantled by Cardoso. Whether we like it or not the work done in past eight years is diminishing day by day unless management takes decisive decision to release the current coach otherwise we going no where
You’ve summed it up with this comment, this is what is happening in a nutshell to our beloved team.
Not sure if we are being lead here in this club anymore.
Our history of shoe shine have been wiped out, I don’t know what was the thinking in getting rid of the people that were the custodians of our DNA, Unless they wanted to destroy it like where were a now.
Rhulani and Manqoba were replaced by someone who doesn’t have a clue of our DNA or have never proved to play something similar or close to our DNA.
Mfana,you stole my words.We don’t have a coach nor captain.That fool called williams doesn’t learn from his mistakes,he puts the team under unnecessary pressure.You can’t win a game when you constantly playing next to your 18 area.Williams had more touches than Mathews and Rayners combined,from the 20th minute to the 26th minute i did not see the center circle,it was williiams to Khoza ball and visa versa and the technical did nothing.If you didn’t look at the score board you would swear we were leading 2-0 the way williams was holding on to the ball from the 1st minute.This this is the 1st time in the history of Sundowns getting in the pitch playing for a draw.I the only thing i recognized last night was our jersey,our team is dying a silent death. Monqoba was fired for poor performance and why is cardoso been kept for terrible performance?
It seems our Management are afraid of Cardoso,the guy keeps on repeating same mistakes to almost every games how I wish the President is here because his son is busy on singing nje with the supporters after the match.
Everybody can see that we need to reinforce and not trimming the squad maybe if we can be eliminated from group stages that’s where they open their eyes but it will be too late.We bought and loaned back Khulumani Ndamane to Galaxy a left footed centre back whereas we don’t have much because Lebusa is old and injury prone the young boy was wanted in Europe but we prevented him from going abroad.
I used to praise young Motsepe but the guy is failing us,the window period is closing on the 22nd of September but they will be rushing on the last minutes as if they hadn’t have a plenty of time to sign the players.
Chiefs have improved a lot this season the only obstacle they will encounter is when they play Confederation games,our players were casual and arrogant since they came from CWC they think they’re superstars and the less said about Ronwen the better.Our coach said that game was not suitable for Shalulile and I was amazed because it’s the guy gave Chiefs problems all along but he came and said that what an insult..Yesterday I thought Modiba will replace Allende or Adams so that we can penetrate Chiefs defence but he took out Basadien,le coach nje iyasidelela and ayisizwa but oneday uyozisola.
I also agree with the comments above, the team has changed badly, I did not see any scoring opportunity created, all 3 middle fielders play the same, no creativity at all, we don’t put pressure on the opponents, even when we have a ball, we don’t play it quick, we always give them opportunity to organize. We are too predictable now, members are right, we must freshen up the team and vary our style of play. Yesterday’s game was one of the worst in ages.
The blame must also be placed on the young Motsepe and his officials. They allowed Cardoso to fire our coach and to keep Kgompela, who has no knowledge of our culture and Style.
The same officials said or did nothing when he fired players such as Maema in order to protect the Adams of this world. Members, we must accept that the majority of the colored players we are buying from the Western Cape are not helping us at all, but we keep on buying them.
The sundowns we are expected to support and say nothing of its performance is different from the past. We are never signing African players but hope to dominate Africa. I remember those days when Natasha Tichlas for introducing Chukwu when we we struggling and everything changed. Members Chukwu and Mambush’s partnership is second to none in our country.
It is difficult to see our team dying under Cardoso and Khompela. Cardoso has even sidelined the team he came with and only listens to Kgompela.
I miss the days when Pitso, Rulani and Manqoba used to moer Chiefs and Pirates with houling scores and that is how we earned respect, this one since his arrival ,I don’t recall him beating Chiefs instead we have been moered by Chiefs.what has Cardoso and Flemming won since their arrival, we are not progressing instead we are regressing.Their performance yesterday made chiefs to look good, everyone now is starting to say chiefs will win the league, because they see the standard of sundowns have dropped.Where is Mvala? Why Shasha- the Chiefs slayer is not playing? What does this coach want to prove?
The only defender who used to make long range pin point passes to our strikers was Mvala, he used to pass the ball around while looking for pockets to make thise long balls , now these ones their are just passing without purpose, Zungu when he was swiched ti defend he also used to give us thise balls, let these young stars learn from the best ,but the best is sitting on the bench.
Guys let’s talk about our team’s performance every start of the season,especially those of us who are veterans of Downs.
I didn’t remember performing to our best since we participated to Caf consecutively why I’m saying that we didn’t get enough rest during off season and the team not rest perfectly and our downfall we participated in every trophy that is on offer irrespective of how fixtures are congested.
When it’s time for Nedbank trophy we go all out at the same time the Champs League is about to get to knockout stages and the league games are there waiting for us and our Psl season is closed at the end of May as if our Bafana are participating to other competitions,season before last we were playing Afl last season it was Champs League and CWC and two weeks of resting while Pirates and Chiefs were on leave for nearly three months maybe we are harsh on our team I don’t know but someone will say we must have a large pool of players to choose from and our coach cried that it’s difficult to train so many players he needs a competitive squad.
Even the so called expert Tso Vilakazi,Shakes Ngwenya that are saying Cardoso must go they failed us to won Mtn where we had Mbensuma,Rhee Zuma etc.
Let’s give Cardoso a benefit of the doubt at ten games maybe our team will find their rhythm and we mustn’t forget we are slow starters even during the time of Pitso and Rhulani it was like this,this players are also human beings they get tired and I wish one season where Downs will not participate in Champs league and only concentrate on Psl where they will always fresh ukuthi what will people says,winning or always ambitious has deceived us that this players are also humans,that was my observation about my beloved Downs to see things differently and persevere,pls don’t insult or call me names but let’s not disturbed by our rivals as if they care about us this crisis will pass.