FC Cape Town took Mamelodi Sundowns to extra-time before the Premiership side finally triumphed 2-0 in a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal game played at a wet Athlone Stadium on Saturday night.
The first half saw FC Cape Town paying scant respect to the Premiership champions as they dominated the game and at times made Sundowns look ordinary.
The home side looked determined in their challenges, while they also looked more threatening than their Premiership counterparts when pressing forward in attack.
The Cape side missed a great chance in the 10th minute when Kanika Matondo’s corner picked out an unmarked Michael Mutenyenda, but the defender blasted his shot over the bar.
The Brazilians’ best chance of what was for them a poor first half fell to Mbulelo Mabizela in the 38th minute, but his header bounced off the wet turf and over the bar.
The first 20 minutes of the second half were tight with each team having a chance on goal — Mutenyenda shot over the bar from wide on the right in the 53rd minute while Sundowns’ Peter Ndlovu failed to hit the target from 12-yards out after being set up by Surprise Moriri.
Zeka Karkee had a great chance to put the Cape side in front in the 73rd minute, but after racing through on goal, he saw his parting shot saved by Brian Baloyi’s legs.
Ndlovu had a late chance to win it in regulation time for Sundowns, but succeeded only in shooting straight at keeper Welcome Moses.
The Pretoria side finally got the breakthrough five minutes into extra time after Breslyn Hempe brought down Lerato Chabangu inside the box and Moriri calmly converted from the spot.
The victory was sealed for the visitors in the 108th minute when Ndlovu showed his class to squeeze in a shot from a tight angle. — Sapa