Flirting with disaster for much of the game, Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns ultimately scraped into the Absa Cup final by the skin of their teeth at Potchefstroom’s murky Olen Park on Wednesday night to keep their hopes of a double alive.
The Brazilians edged home 5-4 in a penalty shoot-out after finishing level 1-1 with a gallant Silver Stars after extra time. But they were trailing until the 81st minute of the game and again faced imminent elimination from the competition when captain Michael Manzini shot wide with the first kick of the penalty shoot-out.
And when the shoot-out went into a sudden-death mode with the teams level 4-4, it was Solomon Mathe who shot wide to leave Stars a little bemused and bewildered over losing a game they deserved to win.
The unglamorous Stars, who have been the surprise packet of the season after annexing the Telkom Knockout Cup and challenging strongly for the runners-up spot in the league championship, were more enterprising and resolute than Sundowns and deservedly opened the score in the 33rd minute when Kokotso Mmotong rounded off an incisive counter-attacking movement that had the Brazilians’ defence at sixes and sevens.
Sundowns had not as much as constructed a single worthwhile shot at goal and seemed to be heading for defeat when late substitute Dillon Sheppard saved their bacon with his late equaliser after being on the pitch for only four minutes.
And in view of the fact that he has proved himself one of Sundowns’ most accomplished and tenacious players in times of trouble, it was mystifying indeed that coach Gordon Igesund waited until the 77th minute before bringing the former Ajax Cape Town player into the game.
Sundowns’ powder-puff attack badly missed the subtle touches and striking power of injured Venezuelan international striker Jose Torrealba, with the three players who were used as replacements at various stages of the game all failing dismally.
Indeed, it was the 2m tall Lungisani Ndlela, who is ironically a poor header of the ball in spite of his height, who squandered the easiest chance of the game for Sundowns when he headed wide from barely 3m, just two minutes after Sheppard’s goal. — Sapa