It was business as usual on Wednesday for Betway Premiership contenders Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates as the two South African powerhouses earned victories away from home.
Sundowns took part in a Pretoria derby against SuperSport United at the Lucas Moripe Stadium but the reigning champions left SuperSport spellbound in a decisive 3-0 victory. Newly acquired midfielder Jaylen Adams scored his first goal for the Brazilians on his first start since arriving from Stellenbosch, lifting a finish over SuperSport keeper Thakasani in the 11th minute.
From then on it was the Tashreeq Matthews show. Formerly on the books of Borussia Dortmund in his early career, the 24-year-old dealt a crushing blow to SuperSport just before halftime when Peter Shalulile cushioned a long pass from goalkeeper Ronwen Williams for an easy finish. Matthews put Masandawana out of reach early in the second half with a finish from Lucas Ribeiro's cross.
Sundowns remain six points clear at the top with one more match played than closest rivals Orlando Pirates, who held on for a 2-1 victory at Sekhukhune United in Polokwane. Anticipated to be a very tricky match for visiting Pirates, they got off to a perfect start in the 5th minute when Deon Hotto's low free kick from out side snuck past Sekhukhune keeper Badra Ali Sangaré.
The second goal for Pirates came from an unlikely source. Veteran defensive midfielder Makhehlene Makhaula scored his first league goal since the 2016-17 season with Free State Stars when he rose up to flick in Hotto's whipped cross from the right wing. Former Pirates player Linda Mntambo pulled one back for Sekhukhune but the hosts could not restore parity.
Elsewhere, TS Galaxy and third placed Polokwane City played to a scoreless stalemate while Cape Town City and Golden Arrows also shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Earlier in the day, Magesi FC and Chippa United resumed their postponed match with Chippa dominating for a 4-1 victory. The match had previously been stopped 21 minutes in due to an electricity outage with the teams tied at 1-1.
League Table (Top-5)
GP | Points | |
Mamelodi Sundowns | 14 | 39 |
Orlando Pirates | 13 | 33 |
Polokwane City | 16 | 29 |
Sekhukhune United | 15 | 24 |
Kaizer Chiefs | 16 | 22 |
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