OLE! OLE! OLE! They are champions yet again.
Mamelodi Sundowns did the inevitable by capturing the inaugural Betway Premiership title in East London, courtesy of a 3-0 victory over Chippa United on Wednesday night.
It was a record extending eighth successive league triumph for the Brazilians, whose dominance of the local game looks set to continue unabated even in the upcoming season.
A goal in the first half by Iqraam Rayners and a brace by substitute Arthur Sales in the second half were enough to ensure Sundowns reach the unassailable 70 points, a new record in the 16-team league.
Rayners went equal on 14 league goals with teammate Lucas Ribeiro, while Sales has now scored eight.
Rayners set the ball rolling as early as 11th minute – the Capetonian netting a superb goal by sending the Chippa defenders showing him their numbers as he twisted one way and turned the other before shooting into the net.
He was wrongly denied the honour of leading the chase for the golden boot when the assistant on the near side, Happy Nhlanhla, inexplicably adjudged him to have been offside when he received a pass from Jayden Adams before scoring.
Sales came on midway through the second half to seal the deal with a goal that saw coach Miguel Cardoso uncharacteristically running like a sprinter from the bench to join in the celebrations at the far corner, the Portuguese jumping onto the top of the huddle made by his players including some of the bench-warmers.
Sales was clearly trying to deliver a cross, but the ball somehow found its way to goalkeeper Johnson’s left and ricocheted off the inside of the upright.
Johnson had done pretty well in the first half pulling off a few good saves as Sundowns attacked from the wings.
But he then committed a huge blunder when he cleared poorly and succeeded in gifting Sales the ball, and the blond-haired striker duly slotted home to see Sundowns beating Chippa 3-0 for the second time in a week.
Most importantly, the victory delivered the championship that was never really in doubt, and Cardoso bowed down in thanks before saying a prayer to celebrate his maiden championship on South African soil.
