The Mamelodi Sundowns Diski Team were able to maintain the perfect start to the season, following a 4-1 victory over the Marumo Gallants Reserves on Sunday afternoon at the Solomon Mahlangu Stadium. It is all thanks to Siyabonga Mabena, captain Ntando Nkosi and Thulani Zandamela, who collected important goals for the team, to remain perfect.
Masandawana were quick to assert dominance in Kwa-Mhlanga in the early minutes of the match when Onele Rulwana and Zandamela orchestrated some good chances, but they were not executed well to get them ahead of the game. Six minutes before the break, the breakthrough finally came through Mabena who made a clean shot from the right flank to open the flood gates for the Pretoria-based side. They headed to the break with one goal up.
The Brazilians saw off the second half with a goal, to extend their lead, through Nkosi. The supply came from defender, Matlhatse Mampane who made a long shot over to the right to find the Diski Team captain. Nkosi then shot to the bottom left of the net to make it two for Masandawana.
The pitch seemed to be the hosts’ playground, as the two goals quickly became three then four. It was Zandamela’s brace that further stretched the lead. His first goal came on the 57th minute through Rulwana’s supply. Rulwana who drove the ball into the penalty area was unable to take a shot due to the tight angle but was able to pass the ball past the Gallants keeper to hand it over to a steady Zandamela who shot it straight to the net.
The second one came just after the hour mark. It started with Mabena’s beautiful play, going past the Gallants defence to supply it to Zandamela – who was named man of the match. He did not waste no time as he tried to finish it off, but the keeper smacked it away. He managed to win the ball after the clearance and shot it straight to the net to make it four. The brace from the 22-year-old was his second of the season, as he recorded one in the last game too.
In the final stages of the match, Gallants managed to concede a goal, following a bit of miscommunication with the Downs defence. 4-1 is how it remained when the referee blew the full-time whistle.
How we lined up: Biyela, Mampane, Sibiya, Khoza, Norawana, Nkosi ©, Kekana, Mabena, Letlhaku, Zandamela, Rulwana.
Subs: Shabangu, Booysen, Sithole, Mokoele, Ngqakabana.
No offence but truth be told,i think our senior technical team and players should learn from our junior teams,over the past weekend i watched both Sundowns junior teams,under 15 and diski teams,the young once play the real Downs football.You could hardly see their keepers having the ball,they mostly play forward passes.Our diski team made over 550 passes and had over 15 shoots at goals,ball rotation was very fast,one of our central defenders,wearing jersey number 20 had an assist,unlike Lebusa and Kekana who always pass the keeper or side ways and never cross the center line with the ball.