ANDREW MUCHINERIPI, Rustenburg | Sunday 10.30am.
Sundowns ………… (1) 2 (Amougou 37, Mudau 53)
Free State Stars …. (0) 0
SUNDOWNS will play a lot better than this and lose. But do they care? Not a chance. What matters is that the Rothmans Cup bogey has been laid to rest and they are R1-million richer.
If Free State Stars want to lift the trophy next year they must lure Paul Dolezar away from Pretoria, because wherever the Freanco-Yugoslav coach goes the trophy is sure to follow.
At Kaizer Chiefs, he won the inaugural edition of the richest domestic cup competition in Africa and retained it the following year. Both finals were won after penalty shootouts against Sundowns.
After a not altogether friendly mid-year parting of ways with the Amakhosi, Dolezar vowed to win the “unbelievable” competition again, and no doubt he was hoping Chiefs would be his final victims.
Hellenic put paid to that with a sensational first-round comeback after a 2-1 loss at home, and while it is the result that counts, Dolezar must have wished for a more spectacular success than this.
Stars, shock semi-finals conquerors of Manning Rangers just four days before the final, seemed scared of their own shadows at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace and wore the look of a beaten team from early in the second half.
Davids usually need to score first against Goliaths to create upsets and once Alain Amougou put Sundowns ahead with a cross-cum-shot that took a deflection off Joe Bwalya, the signs were ominous.
Sundowns went on the offensive from the start of the second half and Amougou and Isaac Shai threatened to score before captain Daniel Mudau did to terminate the match as a competitive contest.
Jethro ‘Lovers’ Mohlala unleashed a 30-metre drive which goalkeeper Mathews Setholo got his left hand to but could not hold and there was ‘Mambush’ to tap the ball over the line. Game, set and match!
Teams
Sundowns: Tlale – Ajao, Booth, Schoeman – Masilela (Mnguni 83), Motlohi, Feutmba, Mohlala (Manzini 89), Shai – Mudau, Amougou (Batchelor 58)
Stars: Setholo – Rantili, Bwalya, Seli – Dhlamini, T.Mokoena, Kwebu, Mokotjo (Nechironga 54), Tsiu – Maboe (J.Mokoena 77), Ngaduane (Sethunsa 80)
Match officials: Referee: Linden, assistants: Radebe, Kershaw
Yellow cards: Seli 20, Motlohi 42
Red card: Kwebu 88