Sundowns win Supa8 final

THE growing suspicion that South African soccer teams had forgotten how to play quality soccer was happily debunked at King’s Park Stadium in Durban on Saturday night when Mamelodi Sundowns edged out Orlando Pirates 1-0 in an entertaining, skilful SAA Supa8 final before a near-capacity, appreciative 45 000 crowd.

In the process of lifting the level of play along with a gallant Pirates in a generally mundane and drab PSL season, the Brazilians also broke an eight-year drought in which they have failed to annex a major knock-out trophy in spite of dominating the Premier League championship with a record five titles. Sundowns stamped their authority on the proceedings as early as the 15th minute when an alert Brent Carelse took advantage of a moment of disarray in the Pirates’ defence and drilled home the only goal of the game with a thunderous 18-metre shot.But to the Buccaneers’ credit, they fought valiantly until the end and more than held their own, with Brian Baloyi in Sundowns’ goal having a good deal more work to cope with than his opposing number Francis Chansa.For all this, Pirates’ downfall was the lack of a penetrative striker to capitalise on the enterprising play of Teko Modise in mid-field, with Paulos Masehe, a former Sundowns player, squandering a golden opportunity of equalising in the 66th minute.Josta Dladla, however, was confronted with an equally inviting, close-range scoring chance shortly after Sundowns had taken the lead and a second goal at that stage could almost have sealed the issue there and then.Second-half substitute Joseph Makhanya, who added a touch of guile and precision to Pirates’ play, came close to snatching an 87th minute equaliser from a screaming, angled shot and on another occasion Baloyi in Sundowns’ goal made his only mistake in the game when dropping a Makhanya cross that threatened danger.Just as he had been on Wednesday while solidifying the Bafana Bafana defence in the goalless game against Uruguay, Benson Mhlongo was an ice-cool, tower of strength in the Sundowns’ defence – and he was well-supported by his industrious co-central defender, Mbulelo Mabizela.The absorbing game was played under a pall of underlying sadness following the recent tragic death of 22-year-old Sundowns prodigy Gift Leremi, who had close and intimate associations with the competing teams.www.supersoccer.co.zaSundowns stamped their authority on the proceedings as early as the 15th minute when an alert Brent Carelse took advantage of a moment of disarray in the Pirates’ defence and drilled home the only goal of the game with a thunderous 18-metre shot.But to the Buccaneers’ credit, they fought valiantly until the end and more than held their own, with Brian Baloyi in Sundowns’ goal having a good deal more work to cope with than his opposing number Francis Chansa.For all this, Pirates’ downfall was the lack of a penetrative striker to capitalise on the enterprising play of Teko Modise in mid-field, with Paulos Masehe, a former Sundowns player, squandering a golden opportunity of equalising in the 66th minute.Josta Dladla, however, was confronted with an equally inviting, close-range scoring chance shortly after Sundowns had taken the lead and a second goal at that stage could almost have sealed the issue there and then.Second-half substitute Joseph Makhanya, who added a touch of guile and precision to Pirates’ play, came close to snatching an 87th minute equaliser from a screaming, angled shot and on another occasion Baloyi in Sundowns’ goal made his only mistake in the game when dropping a Makhanya cross that threatened danger.Just as he had been on Wednesday while solidifying the Bafana Bafana defence in the goalless game against Uruguay, Benson Mhlongo was an ice-cool, tower of strength in the Sundowns’ defence – and he was well-supported by his industrious co-central defender, Mbulelo Mabizela.The absorbing game was played under a pall of underlying sadness following the recent tragic death of 22-year-old Sundowns prodigy Gift Leremi, who had close and intimate associations with the competing teams.www.supersoccer.co.za