Mamelodi Sundowns opened their 2025/26 Betway Premiership account with a 1-1 draw against Chippa United on Saturday afternoon at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It is Arthur Sales’s goal that saw the Pretoria-based side walking away with a point.
The hosts were assertive in the opening minutes of the match, testing Ronwen Williams a few times, but the goalie remained steadfast. Masandawana also threatened the Chilli Boyz, but the defence was knitted tightly, denying Downs an opener.
A big opportunity presented itself for Masandawana just after the 20-minute mark after miscommunication by the hosts in front of the goal. Iqraam Rayners caught a sniff of the ball, but he missed the target slightly as it went wide.
After being held for 30 minutes by the hosts, Bafana Ba Style finally broke the deadlock in the 31st minute. Tashreeq Matthews had snuck the ball to Sales, who didn’t waste time and tucked it under the keeper.
Chippa tried to level matters in the final stages of the opening half through a good run that left the Downs defenders trailing. It had come from transition, but Aubrey Modiba cleared the ball away. The same play happened again, and this time around, Chippa couldn’t get it right in the final third as the attempted shot sailed over the bar. This meant Sales’ opener separated the two sides at the break.
The two sides continued with their titanic tussle with no goals to show. Modiba tried to double his side’s advantage with a cut back after the hour mark, but there was no one to receive it. In the 65th minute, the hosts found the back of the net to level matters.
Downs were quick to respond when Marcelo Allende played a backheel pass to Themba Zwane. Zwane did not waste time with the shot, but a high alert goalkeeper smacked the strong shot away, denying the visitors an opportunity to snatch back the lead.
The visitors tried to find the back of the net as they looked to walk away with all points on offer, but they were just not going past the grey wall that stood firm in front of the goal. A point is what they could take out of this mouthwatering clash.
How we lined up: Williams ©, Basadein, Kekana, Lebusa, Modiba, Mokoena, Allende, Adams, Sales, Rayners, Matthews.
Subs: Onyango, Mdunyelwa, Cupido, Mdunyelwa, Lunga, Zwane, Mabena, Letlhaku, Shalulile.
Playing Basadien as a right-back while Mdunyelwa and Kekana were there was just crazy, especially with Basadien playing his 2nd game in the colours of the team. Whoever is running things at this team has gone totally crazy. Firstly you can’t keep unhappy players, let those players who want to leave go. Personally, I’m so happy with how things are going, as this will fast-track the departure of Cardoso, the man is totally out of his depth. I’m just wishing for Pirates to thrash him in the 2 legs of the MTN8. Everytime I see that young chairman and Flemming on TV, I become so angry.
I concur with you member,the man doesn’t know football,and even Kompela is useless he knows Kekana played right back in his prime at SuperSport but he didn’t advise the coach.I was simple,Cupido and Basadien should have played centre and Kekana as right back,even when making substitution,he should have replaced Lebusa and played Basadien and Kekana.Lebusa had a horrible game,the poor guy is old and finished,I would understand if the silly unforced mistakes he’s committed were done by young players.I really don’t know how that team is been managed,it’s like we’re a charity organisation the way he hand out contracts.Man city released the likes of Walker because he was no longer offering the team anything, us is like we’re Government where players must play until age 65.Chelsea was the youngest squad at the club would cup followed by PSGand they both went to the final.At Downs the team selection is based on your age on the ID not performance,you will hear a coach saying Mabena is young and make lots of mistakes but he didn’t talk about lots of mistakes made by Mokoena and Lebusa.There is no healthy competition in the team,Mokoena had a bad game,Rayners was no where to be seen and Allend had a bad game yet they played the entire game,instead of replacing Allende he replaced Adams who had a decent game.I can put my head on a chopping block this technical team won’t finish the season with us.This coach must understand that we not Europeans and that we have our own identity of play,if he doesn’t like it then he must go coach in Europe.You can’t expect Mabena to trap and pass the ball,here we take players on.Next time when we hire a coach we must do thorough background check.The way he is playing Basadien is like he didn’t want us to sign him,that is pure sabotage and I take it was a collective decision to play him as right back and therefore we have a useless technical team which must all be replaced asap.
Forgot something very important,Modiba had an excellent game and I don’t know how man of the match is selected because he was man of the match all day long.You can’t name someone as man of the match because of a deflected goal which was not even on target.
Its so astonishing that Khoza a home grown defender is put on the for failures like Kekana&Lebusa so at Sundowns its just abt pleasing agents of other plyers.Again Basadien a natural left footed fullback is played on the rite bt Mdunyelwa is there,jst 2 accommodate cheap fantasies of Cardoso and Kompela.Even in MTN8 I’m expecting no miracle jst cheap excuses like we had all the ball possession when our team is having 99%possession in our 18 area,so in all how do u hav a lousy short at goal.Lets see Cardoso firing himself against Pirates it wl b a matter of a blessing in disguise.
Morning to the New season guys I missed chatting to you,coming to the game of the weekend,my question is on Kompela ,what’s the role of him if he just sit and not correcting the coach the mistakes he keeps on doing even on CWC or his job is to sing and motivate the boys with his big English.
Playing a left footed player on the right was very disgusting by our coach and I concur with Downs 4ever that Kekana should have played there and defend with Cupido and Lebusa,we have good youngsters on DDC a 17 year old boy who’s scoring goals like nobody’s business but we don’t promote him we are looking for overseas players. If Lamine Yamal can play at that age what’s prevent us from doing that,they released Khoza to play in Chan because they believe in old players and bought Ndamane and also loaned him back to TS Galaxy why did they buy m in the first place because they will keep on loaning him till his contract finished like they did to Ighodaro.Why Nassir is not recall because he’s our player and we are thin upfront we can’t rely on Rayners alone.At Downs it’s no use to have a development sides because all of those players will not get a chance to play,look at Gomolemo Kekana a good middlefielder who can replace Mokoena or Allende but he is on grandstand and I’m happy for Lethlaku in submittal transfer request because he will not play to Cardoso that coach has got favouritism but on interviews you will hear him talking about “group of good human beings and nice ambience “whereas he knows players like Mvala and Mkhulise will not play under him,lastly I was so impressed by Sales the guy is coming nicely.