Mamelodi Sundowns and Cape Town City played to a 1-1 draw in their Absa Premiership clash at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The hosts almost took the lead in the third minute. Sibusiso Vilakazi squared the ball back across goal for Lyle Lakay, whose effort deflected of Peter Leeuwenburgh and on to the crossbar before rebounding to safety.
Sundowns were pinning City back in their own half and deservedly took the lead in the eighth minute through a Hlompho Kekana thunderbolt from 30 yards out that hit either upright before going in.
The Brazilians continued to boss the game and Kekana brought a brilliant save out of Leeuwenburgh with another stinging long-range drive in the 23rd minute.
Soon after, Bradley Ralani forced Denis Onyango into a fine save with a curling long-range effort. City would score from the resulting corner, who struck the ball from an acute angle on the left-hand side of the box with the ball going in off the Onyango’s left-hand upright, leaving the Ugandan shot-stopper with no chance.
It was an action-packed couple of minutes as moments later Keanu Cupido lost the attentions of Wayne Arendse in the box and hit the post with his glancing header from a Mpho Makola corner.
In the 35th minute, the visitors won another corner and Makola’s delivery found Edmilson, but his header was straight at Onyango. Five minutes later, Kermit Erasmus did brilliantly to bring down a high ball and thread the ball through for Thato Mokeke, who failed to connect with the ball when one-on-one with Onyango.
Sundowns began the second half as they started the first – in the ascendancy. In the 54th minute, Kekana played a slide-rule pass for Maboe, which Ebrahim Seedat diverted just past his own goal post – luckily for him.
Soon after, Gaston Sirino’s corner was diverted on to the upright by Wayne Arendse, although the centre-back didn’t know much about it.
Shortly after that, City almost caught Sundowns on the break, as Erasmus swivelled and got away the shot but it was bravely blocked by Arendse.
Erasmus was having a good game and in the 61st minute the former Orlando Pirates striker latched on to a through ball, turned a couple of defenders inside out but scuffed his effort slightly wide of the right-hand upright.
The match fizzled out from thereon in with no further clear-cut opportunities created and the sides had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Here’s how they lined up:
Sundowns: 14. Onyango, 27. Morena, 6. Arendse, 5. Lebusa, 7. Lakay, 40. Coetzee, 8. Kekana, 18. Zwane, 10. Sirino, 11. Vilakazi, 33. Maboe.
Subs: 30. Pieterse, 13. Mabunda, 4. Langerman, 21. Mkhulise, 26. Makgalwa, 2. Madisha, 16. Ngcongca.
City: 1. Leeuwenburgh, 2. Mkhize, 15. Cupdio, 5. Edmilson, 6. Seedat, 3. Mobara, 21. Mokeke, 8. Makola, 11. Ralani, 30. Martin, 8, Erasmus.
Subs: 16. Stephens, 10. David, 41. Abrahams, 38. Kewuti, 20. Morris, 17. Norodien, 25. Mthembu.
In other news:
Zim woman’s Newborn baby falls to death at Mamelodi hospital
A newborn fell to his death at Mamelodi Hospital, east of Pretoria, after nurses allegedly refused to help his mother, who gave birth standing. Theresa Ngwendu, 30, the Zimbabwean mother, told Sowetan yesterday she was rushed to the hospital a week ago as she was about to go into labour. She said a nurse at the hospital refused to assist her on arrival and told her “this is not Zimbabwe”.Her water broke inside the maternity ward around 6am.
My baby came out while I was standing after the nurse refused to assist me. I was in pain while also bleeding,” Ngwendu. She said her baby fell head first onto the hospital floor and was immediately declared dead by the nursing staff afterwards.
Source – SoccerLaduma
