Mamelodi Sundowns’ attacking unit proved ruthless in front of goal once they found their rhythm, though their defence remained leaky in a 5–2 Betway Premiership win over AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night.
Despite defensive blemishes, the victory ensured Sundowns maintained an unbeaten start to the league season. They move joint-top of the standings on 10 points alongside Orlando Pirates, whom they aim to dethrone this season.
Coach Miguel Cardoso will be hard at work in training over the next few days fixing the team’s defensive mistakes. He knows they will need clinical finishing and a clean sheet to overturn a 1–0 deficit in their MTN8 semi-final second leg against Golden Arrows on Sunday afternoon.
For coach Arthur Zwane, the result will sting. Sundowns opened doors for AmaZulu to score, but lapses in concentration and poor organisation at the back left Usuthu on the receiving end of a heavy early-season defeat.
Sundowns are not yet running like a well-oiled machine, but signs indicate that once they fully gel as a unit, stopping them in domestic football will be difficult. Beyond dominating Usuthu, Sundowns were clinical in attack, taking a 2–0 lead into the break.
That early control reflected the approach of Cardoso, whose starting lineup featured Teboho Mokoena – returning from an injury suffered in the season opener – and Cassius Mailula, who made his first start since returning to the club in pre-season.
With improved balance in transition, Sundowns controlled possession with ease and made Usuthu chase shadows, as AmaZulu’s attacking unit of Athini Maqokolo and Thulani Ngwenya struggled to pose an early threat.
Mailula made Sundowns’ attack tick by operating effectively between the lines. His movement proved difficult for Usuthu to read, leading directly to Brayan León’s opening goal.
León dummied a pass into the path of Mailula, who created space to strike. Mailula’s shot deflected off a defender into the path of León, who finished with a half-volley past Faveur Kouassi before pulling off a skyward shooting celebration.
Mokoena announced his return in style shortly after, firing a thunderbolt free-kick from outside the box into the top corner before replicating the same celebration.
Trailing 2–0 and lacking answers in the first half, Zwane’s frustration was clear. He replaced Siphamandla Zikhali and Liam Bern for Siyanda Hlangabeza and Omega Mdaka five minutes before the break, before introducing attacker Langelihle Mhlongo at halftime.
The changes paid quick dividends. Riaan Hanamub sent a low cross behind the Sundowns line, forcing a timid clearance from Malibongwe Khoza that bounced off Ngwenya and past a flat-footed Ronwen Williams.
Sundowns responded quickly. Kouassi parried a shot, and the subsequent clearance fell to Tashreeq Matthews, who slotted the ball into an empty net to restore the two-goal lead before pulling the trademark celebration of the game.
Aiming to prove he is ready to step in for the injured Khuliso Mudau, Thapelo Morena then delivered a precise diagonal pass to Matthews, who turned and struck the upright. The rebound fell back to Matthews, who set up León to side-foot home his second goal of the match and third of the league season. He repeated the celebration.
However, Sundowns’ attack was not matched by defensive solidity, which has been poor since the start. A miskick from Williams allowed the ball to drop for Ngwenya, who finished from an awkward angle to pull another back for AmaZulu.
With AmaZulu’s structure exposed as they chased the game, Sundowns took advantage of the open space late on. Substitute Bennet Mokoena capped off the performance by adding a fifth goal to complete a heavy defeat for Usuthu.
