Mamelodi Sundowns are bowing out of the MTN8 following a difficult penalty shootout in the second leg of the MTN8 semifinal on Saturday afternoon at the Lucas Moripe Stadium. This came after the two sides played out a 1-1 (2-2 on aggregate) stalemate.
The first test came from the hosts in the 2nd minute when Arthur Sales made a pass to Iqraam Rayners, who was on the left shoulder, but couldn’t connect with the ball properly.
After a titanic tussle and end-to-end football, the hosts broke the deadlock in the 17th minute. Sales’ powerful shot from the right was blocked, but Rayners found the rebound to put his side ahead.
Pirates looked to retaliate soon after the opener, and they tested the Downs rearguard a few times. There was an effort inside the area that was a threat to the scoreline, but under the piled-up defence, Jayden Adams was able to head the ball away. Another threat came from a cutback effort, but the ball was cleared away. Despite the fight the Buccaneers put in the opening stanza, it is the hosts who went to the interval with a goal advantage.
Masandawana continued with the great momentum as Rayners opened the second half with a big threat to the Downs backline. A Powerful shot on the left flank hit the woodwork to deny him a brace.
Soon after, Ronwen Williams was tested when Pirates struck a shot from range, but he dived and managed to smack the ball away to deny the visitors an equaliser.
An unmarked Tashreeq Matthews decided to go for glory just before the hour mark from the left. His powerful shot was, however, tipped away by the goalkeeper. With a corner kick awarded to them, they almost doubled their advantage, but with a scramble in the box, they were unable to get it right.
A mix-up and miscommunication in the defence saw the away side equalising in the 73rd minute. The game suddenly became electric after the two sides struggled to make things happen in front of the goal.
Adams came close to snatching back the lead in the 80th minute, but the ball was cleared before he could find it, earning Bafana Ba Style a corner kick. The corner effort was headed by Thapelo Maseko towards the far post, but he missed the mark by a few inches.
In the final stages of added time, Maseko almost shook the Pirates’ defence, but his effort on the right flank was cleared away. After 90 minutes of play, the two sides were deadlocked and were forced to determine the side to advance to the final through the penalty shootout. After not being able to convert four of their penalty shots, the Pretoria-based side was knocked out of the competition.
How we lined up: Williams ©, Mdunyelwa, Cupido, Kekana, Lunga, Mokoena, Allende, Adams, Sales, Rayners, Matthews.
Subs: Onyango, Lebusa, Modiba, Aubaas, Mabena, Morena, Maseko, Mothiba, Shalulile.
Sihole Cardoso, Sihole Flemming Berg, Sihole Thlopane. Well done coach, arguably the Best coach we’ve ever had in the history of the team. Without any doubt, we’re taking everything on offer this season with Cardoso. What a master tactician he is, a good reader of the game. His substitutions are always spot on, they bring an immediate impact to the game. We’re definitely getting a 2nd star ⭐ on our jersey this year with Cardoso at the helm. Well done boyz, let’s do it again on Wednesday against those Zebras 🦓
Thanks to the webmaster nowadays you’re doing the excellent job irrespective of the results.
What I’ve noticed with Cardoso he is undermining our league,you can’t keep on doing same mistakes every games,this guy has got favoritism towards the players but come match day he keeps on with Mathew’s and the poor guy is very effective when he comes from the bench and again Mokoena,Allende,Kekana and our goalkeeper are costing us a lot but they always play. What happened to Mvala partnering with Cupido at the back because this Kekana is costing.he doesn’t substitute early,poor Rayners was alone upfront and he will tell us about trimming the squad whereas in the middlefield he doesn’t changed,why our team is not reinforcing like all other teams around the world who do they think they are to delay reinforcing.
Downs is always playing this kind of games where you must score as many goals as possible to avoid being eliminated or going to penalties but our goalkeeper was busy juggling the ball at the back not making a counter attacks to catch them off guard and I don’t buy that story that Downs we are cursed when it comes to top eight.
There’s a good goalkeeper at Sekhukhune younger than Williams but we still believes in Onyango a forty year old and Zwane whereas other teams are busy signing young players but at Downs we want to honour them till they a certain age as If we are owing them,they’re many over thirties at Downs that are milking Downa money whereas we’ve got good development sides and if we check those players end up playing for other teams like Modiae and Ramotsei at Chippa,what it a used of having that development when we don’t promote them its better for it to be discarded or abolish and keep on buying because that’s what we know,even on Wednesday we will see the same line up because our coach doesn’t believe in other players,Kby forever.
Cardoso Cardoso Cardoso what a way 2 b led by a blind person really?This guy jst substitute players with no purpose when u look at the bench u jst realize that here there’s no game changer.I mean Maseko,Lebusa,Modiba on that time u r trying 2 change the complexion of the game.Then u just being surprised by introduction of Shalulile and Mothiba then u look at the ppl who’ll create chances 4 these players complete natural strikers after u hav Modiba,Maseko and Lebusa,I mean really Cardoso?What’s wrong with Mabena,Lethlaku&Mkhulise.I don’t know whether other r jst selected based on their skin pigment.So in all Sundowns only competes for 3 points and all the cup competitions will b flushed to the drain by Sundowns.We r so obsessed with these Supersport players that we see everything good abt them bt nothing wrong at all.Thanks 2 Thlopie Motsepe and all other fools that surrounding him 4 terminating Rhulani Mokoena &Mngqithi while both of them were on the summit of the log.Thank you again Motsepe for destroying our team,thanks again 4 respecting Cardoso&help destroy a legacy built by Pitso.last season u bought every nonsense for a black coach bt u choose 2 respect Cardoso bcoz he’s a European.I mean where r creative midfielders at Sundowns who r more attack minded than Mkhulise,Mabena and Lethlaku.Do we have 2 suffer bcoz of this headless chicken or we jst reserve Cardoso jst 2 win the league only.
Evening masandawana, im heartbroken because this season we are not going to get anything. The reason is because we don’t have coach, he keeps on playing mathews, modiba and guys are not giving us anything. What shalulile did to him? Last week he plays for 9 minutes and today he gave him minutes why. instead of playing Rayners and shalulile same time because he needed the win
We are likely not to get anything this season if Cardoso is still the coach.If Cardoso and Flemming Berg are good, let them go to Europe and coach there, we are fine here with our South African coaches ,pity that they were not given an opportunity to test their abilities against the coaches at the world cup instead this direction less coach got the opportunity he did not work for.We need the chairman to fix this mess, everything depends upon him now.
After the Chippa game I said Cardoso won’t last 10 games and I think on Wednesday is his last game.The man is useless,favouritism and inability to read the game are his downfall.He comes with lame excuses and says players are mentally fatigued.We have Basadien,Mkhulise, Khoza,even Shalulile didn’t play during the club World Cup but he didn’t play them.He let players like Kodisang who are fresh leave.He should just be honest and say his favourite players are not giving him what he needs.Why didn’t he tell management to buy him new players and why is he not developing players because we are struggling to beat the teams using players?Pirates coach played teenagers at central defenders and Tinkler plays young Thokolo as central defender but us we are still playing the likes of Lebusa and have Onyango at 40 on the bench,this clearly shows no future plans.Honestly coach and management are mentally fatigued.This thing of honorary selection and contract must stop,we owe those old players nothing we were paying them,we need new coach and young players.
Expecting Sundowns to get anything with Cardoso at the helm is like expecting a pig to fly.I don’t know if members noticed Allende played nonsense the whole game,he was playing backwards stray passes putting the team under unnecessary pressure,yet Adams who made us have a shape was replaced,Rayners was fighting alone upfront,instead of introducing someone to help him he replaced him.Williams,Kekana and Mokoena reverted back to their old back passes,those idiots o players don’t realise when you play at the back you are inviting opponents to your goals and when you play in their half they won’t hurt you,even the useless coach always talks about controlling the game when the game is only won by goals.
You’re absolutely correct member. I was trying to be sarcastic, singing Muzi Kunene’s praises of Cardoso yesterday. Mokoena was actually shifted to central defence and Kekana pushed to the left to assist Lunga in countering Sebelebele’s speed. In actual fact I think it was Mokoena who played Mabasa onside in that Pirates’ equaliser, but Sebelebele had shifted more to the central. The team has totally lost shape and identity, and I blame Thlopie for this mess. If the Motsepe family is so fond of white people, why don’t they go for Steve Barker at least? He’s local and he understands our players, and he plays good football as well. Mngqithi had already identified some of the shortcomings of the team, and we were beginning to play some good football under him, and Rayners was scoring. Sometimes it feels like someone is telling Cardoso what to do, because even his substitutions don’t make sense at all.
I need to speak about defensive capabilities once more. Basadien has a stellar performance oa a rough pitch, saved us from a equaliser by making xeucial tacles
Tackles, and yiu qpuld think he deserves a startling bet but the coach had other minds i guess. We drew the first match by a ball played bwhind our defense, and this was considered a mistake. The same thing happens on satursay, with same defenders – talking abt not learning from mistakes. Lunga + Kelana were to slow to react. They were watching as the ball was passed to appolis before ven being played to bucs striker. I won’t be surprised to see the same defense on Wednesday where Duba and Lilepo will capitalize on yhe same mistakes. Are you telling me thst the best lwft back in country does not get to be starting line up for Downs? What is happening? Where is mvala when we need him most? .
Seconded Dalom steve Baker can do better than this plumber called cardoso
I would like to applaud those fans who threw objects on to the field yesterday and obstructed the bus from leaving the stadium now they know We are tired of singing “matorokisi”even we lost.
Guys coming back to our team does the Management busy behind the scene on signing new players or the coach doesn’t want any new signings he still believes Ribeiro will change his mind and stay,because really even the kid can see we need to reinforce especially on three departments e.g goalkeeper,middlefield and striking position.
Cardoso and Flemming Berg it seems doesn’t believes in African talent they want South Americans but their fear is what if those players also flop again like Easquival,Saavreda and Suarez etc.
Downs used to signed good Africans before and they’re too many to name them but they’re very good.
Our chairman it’s seems is losing the plot now he was good all along and I don’t know what’s happening to him lately.Pls our Management just sign players it’s getting worse and this thing of always secretive of whom you want it won’t help because other publications will tell us even those that will go or leaving we know about it,kby forever.
I don’t condone what members did after the game but i understand their frustrations and that what the only was to show management.Management must know that something of that nature has never happened for the past ten year,members use to cheer the team win or lose so members see that the is no team progress with this coach.Let me open the eyes of our blind management.Before Cardoso we had our development plays like Khoza,Lelthaku and Mabena playing and now they are not,this is not progress.You will he the coach saying Mabena is young and make lots of mistake because he is playing for the public yet he is saying we must come in number to cheer our players.He must know that supporters cheer what the like and Mabena is going exactly that,he can’t expect us to cheer Williams,Mokoena Allende and Kekana playing at the back when Mabena is taking on players going forward.H never said anything about old players like Williams giving Dortmont a goal or Kekana passing Mayele to score against us,or his so Suarez giving Pirates and Chiefs goal.The management are supporting this coach but they failed to protect Manqoba who wanted team to play fast forward play and introducing you players.This coach is clueless,can’t even manage the game,he is worst than than all the coaches that ever coached us.In Nedbank against chiefs the failed to manage the lead,against Pirates he failed twice and in CAF final 1st leg he also failed to manage the lead at home and every time we take a lead the over reliant useless Williams starts with his useless back.If our management are expecting him to win champions league while he is failing to win local cups the they are also fools like him.Our past two local coaches at least reached final of the local cups but the were fired and he is been protected for failing to reach the finals of local cups because he is a foreigner,this is not fair.If he had brought any positive thing to the team i would understand.He only damaged the team even the players he plays he found them like that,he doesn’t apply his mind, for example if Mudau was available Mdunyelwa woud have been loaned out or released under him,there will never be player development under this coach.I have always said you can’t hire a coach who was fired from his previous employment,no employer can fire a good and performing employee. Esperence fired him after winning the league and reaching champions league because they saw the way he does thing the team will never go beyond that.Members one most important thing you must know about this coach is that everywhere he had preseason with the team he was fired.