Mamelodi Sundowns bowed out of the MTN8 competition after suffering a 2-0 loss at the hands of Tshwane neighbours SuperSport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgevile on Wednesday evening.
Sundowns were behind in the match as soon as the 12th minute after Tebogo Mokoena cancelled the important away goal for Sundowns. The ball eventually fell to the midfielder following a mistake by Rivaldo Coetzee and he made no mistake in punishing the hosts; driving a rasping shot past Denis Onyango.
Sundowns’ best chance in the first half fell at Hlompho Kekana’s feet. The Brazilians’ skipper tested Ronwen Williams with a trademark shot from range in the 26th minute, but the Bafana Bafana goalkeeper was up to the task. Kekana tried his luck from range once more in the 40th minute, but this time his shot drifted harmlessly wide of goal.
SuperSport had a golden chance to double their lead eight minutes after the interval, but with the goal at his mercy, Sipho Mbule blasted over the crossbar with Onyango out of the picture.
Matsatsantsa continued to create the better chances and were only denied a second once by the towering Onyango, who pulled off a superb save to keep out Bradley Grobler’s stinging effort in the 66th minute.
SuperSport finally put the game to bed in the 86th minute in an almost carbon copy of the game’s opener.
Thamsanqa Gabuza was the provider once more as his pass found Webber who drilled a low shot into the corner of the net as Sundowns’ run without a cup final appearance will now extend to over three years.
LINEUP: Denis Onyango, Anele Ngcongca (Maboe 76′), Wayne Arendse, Mosa Lebusa, Tebogo Langerman, Thapelo Morena, Hlompho Kekana, Rivaldo Coetzee, Themba Zwane (Mkhulise 84′), Gaston Sirino, Ali Meza (Vilakazi 61′).
We have a terrible weakness of not knowing how to fight back on the field of play. It was a miracle on our first game with Celtic to come from behind to win a game, unlike Cape town City, Super Sport, Orlando Pirates and a few other teams. They know how to fight back, they can convert a loss to a draw and a draw to a win. With us its always a big problem, we lack a fighting spirit, we only know how to lead, which is not good enough, we know once a team leads us then we know we can hardly win the same game. Its a big problem ,showing character means overcoming the odds in the field of play to emerge victorious no matter how hard the match might be. There is no how you can cause pressure to the opponent when you chose to make 300 PASSES BACK WARD, when will we see those offensive passes?? Every defense playing against Sundowns have no pressure to handle, because even when the pot is about to boil another unfocused forward will choose to do a back pass, coward playing!! even our own defenders can not handle pressure and goals always come to haunt us because we only know to play when we have the ball. We hope to see better things in the future. We have quality forwards who never want to take shots at goal, a striker is reduced by what he offers upfront and is also judged by the scores or assists. Whoever is given a chance must show up! The next thing we will start to hear people saying people are not given a chance.KBY
I now understand why we cannot beat Casablance once we are in the semifial or final CAF Champions League because of favouratism by the sour bench. Players like the one who played our number six are not sundowns material. He is fat, lazy to think and slow. Pitso take time to replace if when he sees Zwane, Morena are not in the game.
We always field 11 places but our place is short by two or three players something which is not fair to the players who are giving their hears out.
“There is no how you can cause pressure to the opponent when you chose to make 300 PASSES BACK WARD, when will we see those offensive passes??”
This line member I complained about it last night. One of our middlefilder likes to play safe every time he has the ball, his passed are predictable and he has no urgency at all. I don’t want to mention names but jah.
It was obvious member. The midfielder you referring to is Rivaldo Cotzee. we going back To Back Passes FC. remember we handed the Title to Wits because of Manyisa’s back passes.
Bango I salute you and your comment , this excessive back passing and laid back approach even when we are suppose to be chasing the game is to our detriment . Jingles shot himself with playing Meza at this stage of the competition . Hlompho is a warrior . Not interesting to always win one cup season in season out , lets add on the menu .
Last night’s match is one of those we either learn as Sundowns family, or ignore but suffer same fate in future.
Sundowns is a good team generally with every team longing to beat. However, lack of plan B always haunt us back. In last night’s match one could see that Supersport came with a full game plan to win hence forcing early goal. Of course, there a number of players who are on injuries (on Sundowns side), but the approach the coach uses should obviously differ from game to game. You cannot have the likes of Sirino (short-tempered), Coetzee (the slowness), to name but a few, in such a physical match and expect miracle.
Much as Sundowns is representing us in Africa, however we still need to win local cups if situation allows. At the moment it can’t be quaranteed that in the current football season the team(Sundowns) will be able to defend the league especially teams growing stronger and becoming so hungrier by the day, moreso that the likes of Chiefs are leading in points and normally we are not good chasers but leaders.
In any case, we hoping for a speedy recovery to most of the team’s players, but also Pitso’s level of FIFA coaching experience and qualification should speak volume in moment like this.He need to rebuild the team and motivate the boys to rise against odds.
Actually we have seen enough of ball possession at Sundowns, we have seen enough of dribbling . These must always work to our advantage not to disadvantage us. I always ask this funny request, as supporters we ask for goals first and after winning the game , players are free to do their back passes to just keep the possession, knowing they are leading 4-0, but l can assure you supporters enjoy goals even if there are not classic goals, supporters will celebrate even an on goal to show you that it matters to see the goal on the other side in your favor, l do not remember any pressure from our team causing an on goal to the opponents, but l remember our own spear stubs leaving our goal keepers desperate to pick the ball behind the line of his net. I saw Complacency at its best, even if it was going to be pushed to penalties Super Sport was going to emerge victorious.They were determined. Also to our defenders, they must be aware that all these strikers have studied them well and their slow backward passes will soon be intercepted to find themselves on the back foot without speed and causing imminent and uncalled for fouls.Our defenders want to be marked always and they have forgotten how to mark . Not all strikers are willing to dribble around, or make 10 unnecessary passes people dodging responsibility. Since when has scoring become a sour thing? I always favor Hlompho, he misses but his intentions still carry that vavaam factor for the supporters, he does not shy away shooting, he just goes for the jugular !
We bought Rival to play as centre back only to be played out of position.Andile Jali is much better than Rival on that position but only Pisto knows.I blame our coach for the loss of yesterday.
Some players and coach are on a comfort zone,we need hungrier and fighters in the team.We cannot win all games but performance should always remain up.Man-City lost 3-2 over the weekend but you cannot fault them performance wise.We now understand why management needed technical director.We always blame Maboe but the boy makes the defenders work throughout the game he just lack support from other players.There’s no way you can win a game when you spend 90% of the game in your own half.
We do not look like a championship winning team at the moment and I think we have not replaced our ex speedy players up front , which is Tau and Billiat.Mahlambi has pace but I don’t know why he is not playing and also Ngoma has pace.I am praying that at least the new striker and Rantie are fit enough to get a chance because right now no team can fear our strike force at all.
Favoritism is killing our lovely team Masandawana! Pitso and his cronies are in the comfort zone, I wonder if Motsepe does realize this. Motsepe attended the game to watch that rubbish. Rivaldo refused to join Bafana because the Drs would have picked it up that he is a scrap and still using the injection on each game. Pitso is a tsotsi and enriching himself out of sundowns. He signed the players knowing very well that he cant use them but to please his agents friends. Mobbie, Jali, Nghoma. What did he see from Menza when he signed? I think he got something from agent. SA has far better players than Menza, but he cannot sign them because agents doesn’t want to pay bribery.
Personally i think Pitso is taking advantage of the warmth welcome that Sundowns management and its supporters have given him and he tends to forget they are mandates to be achieved. He is taking everything for granted! Signing players and dumping them without using them at all. If you look up North especially in the North African leagues are the coaches have to meet the mandates! If Zamalek has to win the league ahead of Aly Ahly it does not matter even if the coach wins the CAF Confederation Cup! They set their standards very high and coaches come and go! I feel our coach is now relaxed! He feeds us with any nonsensical information that comes from his head. I do not enjoy the way Sundowns play. Those slow built ups wont take anyway. Too much back passes from defence and the midfield. We dont have runners upfront. The coach sign strikers but he does play them since from last season. We were luck to win the league last year! Pirates lost the to us we did not win it. His talisman Themba Zwane plays nothing more an exhibition soccer! The players that are willing to take the game aggressively are not given a chance! Manyisa and Jali can play in the central midfield as they did for Pirates! Rivaldo and Lebusa can play in the central defence as they did in that Ajax team. Look and Sipho Mbule and Tebogo Mokoena, they come from Supersport Youth Academy! Now our coach wants to buy them but we have invested so much in the youth development structures. We should be promoting players from the academy