Mamelodi Sundowns had a perfect start to their CAF Champions League group stage journey on Saturday afternoon. It is Nuno Santos and Marcelo Allende’s heroics that saw them walk away with a 3-1 victory and three points at Loftus Versfeld.
Masandawana had a brilliant start to the match, with a fourth-minute goal fromSantos. He had made a perfect run with an elegant finish to hit it home after Miguel Reisinho had set him up from outside the box.
Just before the 15-minute mark, a chance that rattled the goalkeeper almost saw the hosts doubling their advantage. Santos had supplied to Tashreeq Matthews on the right flank. Matthews then hit a shot towards goal, but couldn’t keep it below the crossbar as it missed the target by a few inches.
The Congolese side looked for a leveller, and they came close to finding it when they bypassed the Downs rearguard to enter the danger area. Luckily, Keanu Cupido managed to clear it away with a kick.
Desperate to win their home match with a convincing scoreline, Bafana Ba Style were creating convincing chances. Unmarked inside the area, after receiving a defence-splitting pass, Iqraam Rayners powered a shot which rolled off the target by a few inches.
Reisinho, again, made a beautiful supply into the area, which was received by Matthews, who redirected the ball towards goal. His header, however, rattled the woodwork to deny them their second goal.
In the closing stages of the opening half, the hosts were hit with a sucker-punch when Lupopo took advantage of their lapsing concentration, beating RonwenWilliams and levelling matters. This saw the two sides heading to the break all level.
The second stanza resumed with a slow start, with both sides not pulling any threats. Ten minutes later, the Brazilians started showing signs of urgency and looking for a goal that would see them snatch back the lead. Reisinho almost did that by going for a place after Aubrey Modiba’s cross. The shot was, however, blocked by the Lupopo body that stood in front of him.
In the 61st minute, Downs finally managed to regain the lead through Marcelo Allende’s goal. The hosts had found space and capitalised on it with a goal the keeper could not beat.
Just before the 80-minute mark, Santos recorded himself a brace following his glancing header to make it three goals for his side. He had received the ball from substitute Arthur Sales, who made a spin and turn pass to the area, where Santos headed it into the net.
Before the full-time whistle was blown, Lupopo almost waned Downs’ lead after beating the defence inside the area. The ball was, however, luckily cleared away as it went across the face of the goal. Masandawana will now go top of the Group C table following a successful day out in Loftus.
How we lined up: Williams ©, Mudau, Cupido, Reisinho, Modiba, Kekana, Mokoena, Santos, Allende, Rayners, Matthews.
Subs: Pieterse, Adams, Lunga, Sales, Mkhulise, Morena, Johannes, Maseko, Ntsabeleng.
This thing of Caf into introducing Var on knockout stages is boring and unprofessional, if they was a Var those players of Lupopo would have behaved knowing that any infringement would be seen and I wonder how our players are going to survive in Drc from that brutality.
Our President is failing sometimes together with his executive and another thing they must abolish this away goal rule like in Europe so that we can see an attacking football from both teams not sitting back when you’re leading away.
Coming to the game it was a nice game hope by the time we go to Drc we will be reinforcing our team especially on goalkeeper, defender and one striker,Williams doesn’t have a competition that’s why he always behave like this,lastly thanks to those who attended the game mina I was going to nightshift I wouldn’t on time if I attended that game.If Rhulani plays carpet football and slow build ups on Friday it will suit us perfectly that’s what I wish for and we will beat him.
End of the 1st-half I felt like that was it, “Cardoso is not escaping the chop this time around”. I felt the players were also gatvol with him, and they wanted him gone. They turned it around mid 2nd-half, and there were glimpses of an old Sundowns, a combination of Rhulani and Manqoba’s team, one-two touches and speed. St Eloi Lupopo had no answers to our questions. St Eloi Lupopo grew some confidence early in the 2nd half, because they realised in the 1st half that there’s nothing to be scared of here. In DRC they’ll give us some respect based on some glimpses of the 2nd half. Had we converted all the chances we got in the 1st half, we could be talking another story. I have a feeling only the South Americans and the Portuguese 🇵🇹 are prepared to die for Cardoso in the field, hence he heavily relies on them, and they didn’t disappoint him. The fluidity in our team is still lacking, but the glimpses I’m referring to in the 2nd half are encouraging.