The games are coming through thick and fast, and this weekend saw another top of the table clash against Swallows. This game pitted two sides who have not tasted defeat in the DStv Premiership season. Going into this game Masandwana made a couple of changes into the starting eleven with Captain Hlompho Kekana and Gaston Sirino replacing Brian Onyango and Peter Shalulile.
The two sides started the game at a high pace even though it was scorching hot in Atteridgeville, Swallows were there the first side to take a sniff at goals as Ruzaigh Gamaldien took a shot which was blocked by Mosa Lebusa, a few minutes later Themba Zwane had a chance and his shot was blocked for a corner. Sirino also had a try at goal and his attempt was spilled by Virgil Vries and was quick to recover with Romeo lurking.
A few nice touches from Sirino on the right saw him deliver enough to pass the ball to Zwane who laid the ball for Kekana but his effort sailed narrowly past the Swallows goal. The Captain had another attempt saved by the Swallows keeper from a free-kick. With the first half coming to a close, up stepped Kermit Erasmus as he placed the ball past Vries after a great assist from George Maluleka to make it 1-0.
The Brazilians upped their game in the second stanza and Lebo Maboe saw his shot deflected into the hands of the Keeper. Masandawana kept pushing for the second goal and some great combination from Maboe and Zwane saw the shot saved again by Vries who was the busiest keeper on the day.
Sibusiso Vilakazi and Zwane combined again as the ball was saved by Vries. In the last five minutes of the game Swallows kept pushing for the equaliser but the Masandawana defence proved a hard nut to crack. It took the last kick of the game for the visitors to grab the equaliser after a shot from the free-kick was saved by Denis Onyango and the ball fell kindly for Musa Nyatama who headed it in to make it 1-1.
Masandawana maintains its unbeaten run and has twenty-seven points after thirteen games.
How we lined up: Onyango, Morena (Majadibodu 73′), Lebusa, Mvala, Langerman, Maluleka, Kekana ( Vilakazi 65′), Maboe, Zwane, Sirino ( Mkhulise 65′), Erasmus ( Makgalwa 90′)
Subs: Goss, Modiba, Motup, Kapinga, Vilakazi, Domingo, Majadibodu, Mkhulise, Makgalwa
Haa.aa no no no these coaches are taking us nowhere and isikhathi samapopayi asinazo. President and your board wake up and smell the coffee. Sundowns is a big team and can’t be led by Jokers.
the brand that was built by King Pitso is vanishing in a wink of an eye. No more accurate combination passes.The once mighty Sundowns , looks just average. No hunger from the coaches, they just seating on the bench without giving instructions to the team. You only see them engaging players during water break. No plan B by the technical team. Our middle-centre on the other hand, has just lost it. No ball distribution, no offensive attacks, no holding of balls, nothing. Individual plays and brilliance are the order of the day, no more teamwork. It is in time like this that small teams become dangerous.I would not be suprised if we get some stick either by one or two of them in the next games.
Hard luck to the team. At least we managed to score in while. Still lots of room for improvement. Nothing against Maboe but he is not delivering in the current position. He gets in to good position and as usual no end product. I know we had a makeshift defence, but we should have done better to clear the line after save. I’m very disappointed right now because these draws feel like losses. I also hope we get an afternoon game next time because the likes of Sirino battled in the heat.
I am very disappointed in Manqoba’s substitutions. They made us weak and invited the opponent. He must pull up his socks. He has been in the game long enough to have such poor tactical approach
How I so wish that Black Leopards and Chippa United can moer our in the next fixtures so that our coaches can wake up and smell the coffee. Honestly speaking guys!!! you are leading the game, opponents are not threatening at all but at sixty something minutes you are the one starting to make substitutes!!! For what! why can’t you push the game further to seventy or eighty minutes perhaps we could have had the second goal. Mxm I was deeply heard yesterday. This draw is on you coaches, you killed the game and give it to the opponents on a silver platter. We invited Swallows to grow confidence and start attacking from the moment we made our unnecessary subs at sixty something minutes. That’s y I wish we could loose the next 2 games so that we can fire all of you at once. Looking at 6 draws we had at the moment 4 of those games should have been wonned easily. Yesterday showed you how badly do we need our Captain back, we suffocated Swallows in the first half, created goal scoring chances and prove to that is how the goal was created only to be substituted for no reason (I thought it will be Maboe since he was not there yesterday but you thought otherwise since our Captain is not your favourite, you killed what was supposed to be our win). I am still saddened by the results of this game. Lastly I only understood your formation on yesterday’s game simply because Hlompho was there and with one striker; I suggest going it should be like that we are dangerous when we play that way but (I repeat)! you messed it up the three of you.
The board of directors must act now before it is too late. The false hope that they have wont work. 7 wins and six draws in 3 coaches with this amount support hayikhona ngeke
A very disappointing game ,lack of leadership from the coaches ,poor decision making and the ref added to our messery
Manqoba is failing us by not taking charge of the team and letting Rulani take control.Manqoba you have been with the team for many years and you let Rulani change the culture of the team, we are no longer playing playing Sundowns brand of football hence players are getting injured every game.Last season we won treble using Mkhulise,Makgalwa and Mkhuma,now they only play 2 minutes when the team is loosing, you are destroying those boys and they are our future.Zwane was struggling with an injury but Sirino was replaced.Kekana was playing well and he was substituted instead of Erasmus who was struggling because of heat.With the absence of Shalulile Maboe should have played upfront to but pressure to Swallows back 4,when Morena got injured Maboe should have played right back because were under severe pressure. Management should put one accountable person in charge because this thing of when there’s an argument Manqoba has the final say is not working at all.The players are no longer enjoying their game judging by their body language.If we had astute technical team we could be having 34 points by now.If something is not done as in yesterday we are going to end the season empty handed.
The team did well. There is still a lot of improvenent that is required. The ecgnical team is not doing bad. Please keep working on the team. They will improve, just make sure they push more.
I want to appeal to the Sundowns technical team to jointly watch the videos of the recent past matches and evaluate Maboe’s performance, draw conclusions and make decisions. You can’t substite Kekana and leave Maboe to continue nalomsangano wakhe. I blame the coaches for the outcomes of yesterday’s match.
Masandawan congrats for getting a point against Swallows fc. Let us agree that the coronavirus impact negatively to our beloved teams. Since there was no prep season to plan accordingly, look how Liverpool performed currently, REAL MADRID, Barcelona, JUVENTUS this covid 19 affected our teams negatively so masandawan let us be patient with our team they will gain their momentum, once we gain our momentum there is no team that can stand in our way
Again!!! Maboe failed to perform,yet he will b on da starting line up against leopards,Sirino was a constant threat to da swallows defence bt he was substituted in the 60th minute……as for Vilakazi,the less said the better,I mean he couldn’t even trap the ball properly,he is lazy to mark,and he is lazy to run(he should sit in the stands)…..let us trust our youth product Majadibodu and stop playing Mvala as a centre back
Member, but Mvala played very well in that crntral defence role. To me, he played even much better than Lebusa. Majadibodu also played well as a right back, that’s his position in any case
I thought I know Manqoba who believe in young players. This one is busy destroying our future players, Mkhulise was doing very well last season, Makgalwa and Mkhuma, now these boys are hardly makes your team.
I think Maqhoba you are failing us as a coach.
You have enough players, talented boys but play disjointed football that is not Sundowns way of playing.
Please stop this nonsense and play deserving players.
I still remember how you nearly relegated Amazulu by changing players, bring more young stars which strategy did not work.
This is Sundowns we play with style and win games.
Please use Mvala as a centre back permanently because we are short in defence, plenty of midfielders