Premier Soccer League champions Mamelodi Sundowns turned the tables on AmaZulu and gained a timely 2-1 victory at the King Zwelithini Stadium on Monday night to avenge a home defeat by a similar margin against the Durban team earlier in the season.
But the team known as the Brazilians, who were an embarrassing 12th place in the log at the mid-season break, gave scant impression they were back on the comeback trail during the opening 45 minutes after trailing through a snap sixth-minute goal from Dumisani Ngwenya.
The darting AmaZulu striker pounced on the rebound after Sundowns goalkeeper Brian Baloyi dropped the ball from what seemed a relatively harmless shot — and the Brazilians were made to sweat in rainy, but humid conditions.
Sundowns, in turn, put the heat on AmaZulu only eight minutes after the interval when 2m-tall substitute Lungisani Ndlela equalised with a loping header and then Peter Ndlovu followed up with a second goal for the champions following a goalkeeping error.
And, from this point, there was never much doubt that Sundowns would emerge with the three points they needed as a matter of urgency before going on to Madagascar at the weekend for a game in the African Champions League. — Sapa