Mihlali Baleka
MARUMO GALLANTS 0
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (0) 2
Ribeiro (pen) 53, Maema 90+4
Mamelodi Sundowns proved that they are blessed with oodles of depth and adaptability, as they beat Marumo Gallants yesterday to reach the Carling Knockout final.
Sundowns will face Magesi in that match later his month at Toyota Stadium, which is just a stone’s throw away from yesterday’s venue, Dr Petrus Molemela Stadium, in Bloemfontein. Reaching the final will mean a lot to the Brazilians, as it will be their chance to win their first Cup since beating Gallants in the 2022 Nedbank Cup final. And while the Brazilians walked away with the victory here, Gallants will also be proud of their first half efforts, having shown no fear against their more illustrious opponent.
90+4' GOOOOOAALLL! Neo rifles one home and seals our spot in the final!!!#Sundowns #CarlingKnockout #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/nzxvQHWDDY
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) November 10, 2024
Gallants coach, Dan Malesela, has good memories in cup competitions. He led Gallants to that final two years ago, and also a win over Kaizer Chiefs in the 2019 Nedbank Cup final. But it was his counterpart, Manqoba Mngqithi, who now has a chance of winning the second trophy of the season, after missing out on the MTN8 due to a slow start.
The heavens opened heavily before the start of the game, blessing the gathered crowd with early showers before the start of a hotly contested encounter. This clash had all the makings of a ‘final before the final,’ showing off with quality football from start to finish. Despite that fact, the match lacked goals and clinical finishes in the final third during the first half.
Gallants, surprisingly, had the most clear-cut chances early on, but Sundowns were blessed to have the presence of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in-between the sticks. The Bafana No 1 made two daring saves in the first half.
First he denied Daniel Msendami’s long-range shot with a brilliant effort and soon thereafter, showed his quality reflexes as he saved a goal-bound header from Christopher Sithole from close range.
The Brazilians were surprisingly not at their best going forward – the lethality they showed against Kaizer Chiefs last week was nowhere to be seen. Sundowns’ slow start must have given Gallants coach Malesela ample reason to believe that he could finally get one over his former team after 13 unsuccessful attempts.
After all, they didn’t only dominate the first half with the attempts at goal but with the numbers in the stands as well. Their supporters, clad in the colours of Bloemfontein Celtic, cheered them on.
For all the dominance, however, Gallants failed to convert it into goals in the first 45 minutes. The hosts also started the second half with vigour but their bright start was quickly nullified by the left foot of Lucas Ribeiro. Marvin Sikhosana conceded a penalty for the hosts after Peter Shalulile’s cross struck his arm and it was Ribeiro who took the responsibility and slotted past Washington Arubi with a panenka.
Not only did Ribeiro’s goal put Sundowns in control, but it raised the volume on why the Brazilian should be considered for Bafana Bafana in the future, a suggestion he’s open to. Ribeiro’s goal also gave his side some comfort as they started to surge forward with more confidence, threatening to score whenever they were in the final third.
By the hour mark, Sundowns had turned their game on its head, a rainbow appearing in the heavens to seemingly bless their gallant second half performance. Williams made a daring save to deny Thapelo Dhludhlu’s late shot in the second half, but Ribeiro and Neo Maema, who scored late after coming off the bench, ensured that Sundowns proved too good for Gallants.