Mamelodi Sundowns secured their place in the semi-finals of the MTN8 with a narrow 1-0 victory over Polokwane City at the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
This match marked the start of the 2024/25 season for both teams, played under clear skies in Atteridgeville.
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The game saw both sides fielding attack-minded lineups, setting the stage for an engaging encounter.
Among the spectators were Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos and his assistant Helman Mkhelele, ahead of their squad announcement for the Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers.
Sundowns’ new assistant coach, Romain Folz, was also present, although he is still awaiting his work permit.Sundowns expressed their intention to play a more fluid and attacking game, employing 4-3-3 formation.
Despite their dominance, particularly in the first half, they failed to capitalize on their chances, managing only three shots on target out of 11 attempts.
The first half ended goalless, with veteran goalkeeper Denis Onyango, standing in for the injured Ronwen Williams, largely untroubled as Polokwane City, relied on counter-attacks.
The second half saw in-demand winger Oswin Appollis brought off the bench, and he nearly made an immediate impact.
However, after beating Onyango to a 50/50 ball outside the area, his effort was safely collected by Terrence Mashego.
As the game approached extra time, drama unfolded when Onyango was shown a red card for handling the ball outside the area.
With Sundowns having already used their three stoppages for substitutions, defender Mosa Lebusa was forced to step in as a goalkeeper for the final ten minutes.
Lebusa managed to keep the scoreline goalless, leading to extra time where Jody February was eventually introduced as the goalkeeper.
The decisive moment came when Polokwane City’s Thabang Matuludi inadvertently steered the ball into his own net, past goalkeeper Manuel Sapunga.
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This own goal was enough for Sundowns to scrape through and secure their spot in the next round of the competition.
The Brazilians will face Stellenbosch FC in the two-legged semis with the first leg set to be played at Sundowns’ home.
While Orlando Pirates will travel to Cape Town to face Cape Town City in the second semi-final.
The Premier Soccer League will announce the venues and dates for the fixtures this upcoming week
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