Sundowns Ladies triumph in seven-goal fest
A strong-willed Richmond United side handed Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies one of their toughest outings of this season’s Hollywoodbets Super League in the latest round of fixtures on Wednesday afternoon. However, the Northern Cape side was ultimately powerless to prevent the reigning continental champions from adding three more points to their impressive season haul with a highly entertaining 5-2 win at the Merino Park, De Aar.
After showing their bravery against the University of the Western Cape 72 hours earlier, Banyana Ba Style was faced with yet another tricky opposition that has found goal-scoring quite easy this season. As was the case last time, the treble winners showed great attacking determination to notch up maximum points notwithstanding the tactical styles and strengths of the Northern Cape opposition.
The first few minutes of the match featured quick-thinking and rapid-fire wing play as both teams were seeking to make their intentions known from the blast of the whistle. Sundowns Ladies who enjoyed a positive fast start when both teams clashed earlier this season, repeated that same feat when Thembelihle Masibi neatly slotted in a penalty after just fifteen minutes.
The rampant Brazilians continued to apply the pressure after that early strike and were duly rewarded spectacularly. Golden-boot chasing Andisiwe Mgcoyi showed her clinical finishing yet again as she bagged a quick-fire brace just before the half time break. The strikes were Mgcoyi’s 20th and 21st of a red-hot season for the Sundowns Ladies number 17.
After the restart, Banyana Ba Style resumed attacking proceedings with the Chloorkop side looking to further extend their extremely-impressive goal tally this season. With less than fifteen minutes into the second half, Rhoda Mulaudzi finished off a fine team move for Masandawana’s fourth goal of the game.
With less than ten minutes on the lock, the visitors launched their own attacking moves as they desperately searched for a consolation goal. Their bravery did pay off with Ruzaan Robbenson and Thandeka Ncambe halving the deficit. In the end, Thembelihle wiped out any hope of a famous comeback as she completed her double as Sundowns Ladies enjoyed a five-star showing.
Speaking after the match, Coach Jerry Tshabalala was full of praise for his heavily-changed line-up who delivered a masterful performance.
“To be honest, I am very excited with the performance of the players who came into the starting line-up. They gave a good account of themselves and with such performances, they showed that they are ready to start on a more consistent basis. Our first half performance was a joy to behold as we were leading 3-0. Overall, they played very well with and without the ball and their control of the game was admirable. I am also pleased with the way we finished our chances with aplomb,” stated Coach Tshabalala.
The 5-2 win against Richmond United makes it only the fourth time this season that Masandawana has conceded twice in a game.
“Towards the end of the game, it was clear that fatigue played a part in the drop in concentration because it has been a very long season for the team. What impressed me the most after conceding those goals was the way we responded. We scored another to make sure it was an emphatic win; that is how champions react,” concluded the treble-winning coach.
The win further extends the dominance of the Brazilians in the Hollywoodbets Super League this season. After 25 games played, the Chloorkop side has racked up an impressive 23 wins, with just one draw and one defeat (boardroom decision), scoring 80 goals and conceding 14 times. Banyana Ba Style is also just 2 goals away from equalling last season’s tally of 82 strikes!
Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies will be looking to wrap up the Hollywoodbets Super League season with their final match against Ma-Indies Ladies. The game which was initially scheduled to take place at Thohoyandou Stadium, on Sunday, 05 December 2021 at 15h00 has been moved to Bidvest Stadium, Johannesburg according to the South African Football Association.
