Sundowns shoot up, but just

Mamelodi Sundowns yesterday reclaimed the second spot on the Absa Premiership table, even though coach Pitso Mosimane insists that their bid to defend the title could still be an almost impossible task.

The snag for the chasers in the race for the title has been the commanding lead that Kaizer Chiefs have enjoyed at the top for several weeks.

Still, moving a notch up yesterday put the Tshwane giants’ celebrations in suspense as they remain under threat from Orlando Pirates, who could topple them today – if the Buccaneers get maximum points against Black Leopards this afternoon, that is.

Such has been the nature of the competition among the sides in the top five.

In dismantling Chippa United 3-0 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium yesterday, Sundowns signalled their intention to at least finish strongly this season, or at least take the title race down to the wire.

The Brazilians went ahead two minutes into the game when their reserve team graduate, Nicholus Lukhubeni, announced himself in his second start for the team since he was promoted late last year.

The 23-year-old right-back came into the team as a replacement for the injured Thapelo Morena, who underwent surgery on his ankle this week.

As if he was using Morena’s template, Lukhubeni burst out early in the game with a solo run deep from his half to surprise the visitors.

The signs were already there that Chippa would endure a difficult afternoon in Tshwane’s searing heat.

The visitors were saved by the woodwork twice in the opening half, when Gastón Sirino and Lebohang Maboe each fired their strikes off the crossbar.

The visitors also had their scoring chance stifled by the crossbar after Silas Maziya’s attempted cross came off the far upright of Denis Onyango’s goal.

Chippa striker Ruzaigh Gamildien was a consistent threat as he troubled the Sundowns defence every time he surged forward.

He had two clean strikes on target, but was denied by Onyango.

Apart from these attempts, it was a game of missed opportunities in which Sundowns had the most chances.

But the Chilli Boys could not deal with a pressing game from Sundowns in the second half and committed costly errors at the back.

One such moment was when one of their players tripped Sibusiso Vilakazi inside the box, leaving Themba Zwane to convert from the penalty spot.

Chippa defender Sandile Mthethwa did not help matters when he was red-carded for dissent by referee Jelly Chavani.

Chasing the game with a man down was always going to be a challenging task for Chippa, and Sundowns capitalised on their numerical advantage. Vilakazi banged in the third goal after the hour-mark to send a tie beyond the reach of the visitors.

With their third straight league defeat, Chippa remain in a precarious position on the log.

Sundowns, who are in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals, will now turn their attention to their league fixture against Bloemfontein Celtic on Wednesday, while Chippa will remain idle until their Nedbank Cup Last 16 match against Bidvest Wits on February 25.

Wits bounced back from their midweek 1-0 home defeat to Maritzburg United with a narrow 1-0 victory away against Baroka yesterday.

Highlands Park also registered a morale-boosting win over Celtic at Makhulong Stadium yesterday.

But the biggest winners were Stellenbosch, who moved up to eighth spot after their hard-fought victory over SuperSport United on Friday night. – City Press correspondent

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