Mamelodi Sundowns began their title defense of the ABSA premiership with a convincing 2-0 win over Supersport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.

The opening minutes of the game belonged to the visitors, who attacked well and spent most of their time in the Sundowns half.

Evans Rusike had an early chance to score from a corner in the third minute when he jumped up but failed to head the ball and it went wide. Soon after, Bradley Grobler headed just wide from another corner, with the Brazilians looking shaky at the back.

Sundowns gradually grew in to the game and Themba Zwane brought a decent save out Ronwen Williams in the 10th minute after being played through by Sibusiso Vilakazi.

Six minutes later, Hlompho Kekana rattled the crossbar with a typical long-range effort. Pitso Mosimane’s side took the lead in the 24th minute through a terrific long-range strike from Vilakazi with the ball going in off the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Denis Onyango got down low to save smartly from Grobler’s drilled effort. All in all, Sundowns deserved their lead, having controlled the tempo of the game and crucially the midfield area.

Just before the half-time break, Thapelo Morena played the one-two and got free in the box before firing the ball across goal with his left foot but it was well kept out by Williams.

Shortly after the interval, Kekana tried his luck from range with another decent effort that Williams could not hold on to before it was cleared away from danger by the Matsatsantsa defence.

In the 53rd minute, Zwane wormed his way past numerous defenders cutting inside from the left wing and unleashed an effort at goal but he was slightly off-balance and it went wide of the left-hand upright.

The Brazilians were all over their Tshwane rivals like a bad rash, pressing them back deep in their own half with enterprising attacking football. SuperSport’s new signing Kudakwashe Mahachi then brought a fine save out of Onyango after being played in by fellow new signing and former Buccanneer Thamsanqa Gabuza.

Matsatsanta should have equalised in the 77th minute. A free-kick was swung in to the box from the right-hand side and Sundowns were unable to clear with the ball falling to Grobler, but his effort was saved by Onyango. The rebound fell to Gamphani Lungu, who somehow missed with the goal at his mercy.

Whether SuperSport’s endurance was better or whether Sundowns had decided to take their foot of the pedal, Matsatsanta were finishing the game the stronger of the two sides.

But against the run of play, the hosts put the game to bed in the 90th minute. Morena broke swiftly on the counter-attack and teed up Zwane, who side-footed with composure in to the bottom right-hand corner.

Soccer Laduma

Kelvin Trudeau Musako

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