Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns slipped to their first defeat of the fledgling DStv Premiership season after going down 1-0 to TS Galaxy at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday evening.
Lifa Hlongwane scored the only goal of the game in the 34th minute to hand Sead Ramovic’s side their first win of the 2022/23 campaign, which sees them unbeaten after two fixtures.
Sundowns had shared the lead with newly-promoted Richards Bay after the opening round of matches, but any hopes they entertained of going through the season undefeated were quickly dashed.
Galaxy certainly looked up for the fight as they contested Sundowns for control of the game in the opening stages.
There wasn’t much action to speak of in the opening quarter-hour, with the first chance coming the way of the hosts on 17 minutes when Neo Maema brought Aubrey Modiba’s pass under control inside the box and fired over the target.
The Rockets were soon on the attack and former Brazilian Sibusiso Vilakazi flashed a shot wide of the left post from inside the area on the right in the 19th minute.
Melusi Buthelezi had the first save to make on 33 minutes when he turned Themba Zwane’s long-range strike around the post and it proved crucial as the visitors took the lead moments later.
Hlongwane raced clear following a counterattack and he picked out the bottom right corner of the net from inside the box to open the scoring.
Masandawana looked to respond, with Peter Shalulile forcing Buthelezi into a save from outside the area on 36 minutes, while back up the other end Vilakazi was unable to beat Ronwen Williams in a one-on-one after being played in by Aphelele Teto.
Lindokuhle Mbatha should perhaps have done better when he steered a header high and wide of the goal from Bathusi Aubaas’ cross on 39 minutes and Brian Onyango was also guilty of failing to hit the target with a header from a 45th-minute corner.
Thabiso Kutumela came within inches of finding an equaliser 12 minutes after the restart as he directed a header just wide of the right post from Modiba’s cross, while Haashim Domingo tested Buthelezi with a strike from inside the area on the hour mark.
Downs kept pushing for the equaliser, with Maema and Shalulile shooting well wide of goal before Modiba came close with a free-kick that went narrowly wide of the left post on 79 minutes.
With time running out for the Brazilians, Gaston Sirino tried his luck from distance, but Buthelezi was equal to the task as he got down to make the save.
The Rockets survived two scares in stoppage time to hang on for victory after Rushine De Reuck and Sirino missed the target with their respective attempts from inside the box.
