Captain Themba Zwane’s well-executed finish secured a 1-0 victory for Mamelodi Sundowns against Moroka Swallows in the MTN8 quarterfinal clash at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
The win not only secured their progression to the semi-final stage of the competition, but it also marked a third consecutive win of the new 2023/24 season for Bafana Ba Style.
Despite having a numerical advantage due to Andile Jali’s early red card in the 7th minute, Masandawana were unable to extend their lead despite several scoring opportunities. Nonetheless, Coach Rulani Mokwena maintains his belief that his team is on the right path and expresses confidence in their ability to find the net.
“Securing the victory was crucial, especially considering the tough nature of our opponents. We are creating so many chances and the goalkeepers we have faced so far this season have been very formidable, preventing us from scoring the way we want to. The scoreline might not fully reflect the game’s dynamics and it was a match where the result could have been different,” Coach Mokwena stated.
Marcelo Allende once again delivered an outstanding performance that continues to excite the Johannesburg-born tactician.
“Marcelo Allende consistently enhances the team’s all-round performance. While I am proud of players like Tebza (Teboho Mokoena), Aubrey Modiba, Mshishi (Themba Zwane) and Lucas Ribeiro Costa for their performances today, it was Marcelo who consistently lifted the level of play for those around him. I admire the fluidity of his ball movement and his knack for finding those subtle pockets of space while disrupting the movements of opponents. We are indeed fortunate to have such an intelligent footballer at our club. Having him alongside other exciting and intelligent players is a privilege, as it is a case of iron sharpening iron,” commented Coach Rulani.
Coach Rhulani also extended special praise to Zwane, who consistently makes it easier for new forwards to assimilate into the team’s style of play. He remarked, “Mshishi continues to display his intelligence and I am not surprised. I have mentioned this many times – South Africa will face difficulty in producing another player like Themba Zwane. He is a unique prototype and a space navigator in the middle of the pitch. His body movements are dynamic and we are witnessing a player whose sense of awareness is top-notch. No matter whom he plays with, he finds a way to make those around him click and only intelligent players can achieve that.”
When asked about Bongani Zungu’s potential to secure a regular spot in the starting eleven, the Downs coach expressed, “He is making good progress and he had a solid cameo performance today. He recently shared with me that his passion for the game has been rekindled, which says a lot. It is a gradual journey and he appears to be in better physical condition. Overall, I am pleased with his dedication and it is important for us to carefully navigate the process of integrating him into action more regularly.”
The Brazilians will now shift their focus to league action as they prepare for a home fixture against Golden Arrows scheduled for Tuesday.
we won but not convincing against 10 men, we need to shoot from outside the penalty box Caz swallows was defending too deep. and think we need a striker Caz shasha is not scoring
We don’t respect the rule of giving our opponents the same respect and treating all the games equally.We thought that because we played very well against Chiefs we are gonna easily roll over Swallows.This is the same mistake we did in the champions league,we thought because we played well against Wydaad away with ten men then we are automatically guaranteed a win at home in the second leg. That attitude must change if we are serious about winning trophies.One last thing we are very much thin at right back and upfront.I think we must get Mayo and Van Rooyen(the right back )at Stellies.
Can someone or even Management of our team to teach our players rules of the game,our players are undiscipline and it shows with the cards we just accumulated since the league started.
No one is hating us and this are things that are costing us when We play Champs League because Var picked every wrongdoing,Zwane is our captain but he’s not discipline on the field and I even saw Mvala in our game against Swallows wants to beat an opponent in front of the referee and his teammates were busy pushing him away from doing that buy he kept on coming just imagine if its a game with var.
Our couches are keeping quiet in terms of discipline and oneday on our psl games we will play with nine players. Kby forever