Lucas Ribeiro Costa Mamelodi Sundowns star Lucas Ribeiro Costa (centre) takes on Masindi Nemtajela (right) and Mpho Chabatsane (left) of Marumo Gallants at Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
Image: Muzi Ntombela, BackpagePix
THIS is why Mamelodi Sundowns are the country’s most successful club in the Premiership era.
This is why Bafana ba Style are going for an eighth successive league title. This is why Masandawana are top of the table with 12 points more than the second-placed team.
This club knows how to win matches, the circumstances notwithstanding. Talk about bouncing back in style.
Sundowns did that and more at the Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium as they returned to winning ways with a 3-1 triumph over Marumo Gallants on Wednesday night in the Premiership, following that shock defeat at TS Galaxy in their previous match.
And doubts that they were vulnerable were laid to rest, courtesy of this emphatic win over a Gallants side that were pretty competitive.
The fact that Sundowns came from behind to win this match told of their championship quality, their ability to rise to the occasion when the chips are down.
That loss to The Rockets would have rankled, and it no doubt gave the rest of the Premiership a sense that the champions were there for the taking.
Gallants certainly believed so as they went toe-to-toe with Miguel Cardoso’s men from the outset of this clash.
And when they took the lead via a brilliantly headed goal by Junior Dion late in the first half, coach Dan Malesela's Gallants team believed they were on to a good thing.
The coach, who donned the famous yellow and royal blue colours of the Brazilians, must have thought it was going to be lucky No 13 for him as he was yet to beat Sundowns in his coaching career.
But with Lucas Ribeiro Costa on the field, there’s just nothing that Sundowns can’t do.
The Brazilian is so good that he conjures up things out of nothing, and it was him who set up Marcelo Allende for the equaliser early after the break, his pass finding the tiny Chilean inside the box.
Never one to wait for second invitations to score, Allende controlled well and slotted home at Washington Arubi’s near post with a sweetly struck, grass-cutting shot.
Soon it was 2-0, as Player of the Match Ribeiro showing deft control and quickness of mind when he received a cross from Arthur Sales.
The Brazilian controlled the ball with his left foot, and before it could run away from him, he incredibly managed a shot with the very left foot he was meant to be balancing with to the far end of Arubi’s goals.
It was his 10th of the season as he chases the Golden Boot that is fast looking like it would be his.
Iqraam Rayners put the result beyond doubt with the third goal when he latched onto a long punt from the centre by Bathusi Aubaas, but that first touch let him down, and the ball slipped to Arubi.
The Zimbabwean inexplicably parried the ball, and Rayners was alert to get the loose ball into the the net, and that was the match over as a contest.
But Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango contrived to give Gallants hope when he received two yellow cards in quick succession – the first for time-wasting, and the second for fouling Gabadinho Mhango outside the box.
He was duly sent off, leading to Thapelo Morena to yet again go into goals as Sundowns had completed their allotted five changes.
Gallants failed to capitalise from the free kick, and Sundowns showed that they are still the kings of the castle in the Premiership.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, the match between Golden Arrows and Orlando Pirates was postponed before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch at Mpumalanga Stadium in Hammarsdale, KZN, following heavy rain.
The match will be staged at a later date that will be determined by the PSL.