Mamelodi Sundowns on Course for Eighth Consecutive South African Premiership Title
Mamelodi Sundowns took a significant step towards securing their eighth successive South African Premiership crown with a convincing 2-0 victory over Cape Town City on Saturday.
The Pretoria giants now only need seven points from their remaining four matches to clinch the title, maintaining a 12-point lead over second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have two games in hand.
Tashreeq Matthews opened the scoring in the 34th minute at Cape Town Stadium, finishing off a sublime through-ball from South Africa international Iqraam Rayners. Rayners then turned scorer in the 77th minute, latching onto a superb assist from Brazilian midfielder Arthur Sales to slot home the second goal.
Rayners, who now has 11 league goals this season, is just two goals behind Golden Boot leader and teammate Lucas Ribeiro.
“Both goals were magnificent,” said Sundowns’ Portuguese head coach Miguel Cardoso. “I’m proud to manage such a humble and hard-working group of players.”
Despite Cardoso’s concerns about a congested fixture schedule, his side looked fresh and dominant against the bottom-placed Cape Town side.
Upcoming Challenges for Sundowns
After wrapping up their domestic league duties, Sundowns will shift their focus to continental and global competitions. They are set to face Egypt’s Pyramids in the CAF Champions League final, with the first leg scheduled for 24 May in Pretoria and the return leg on 1 June in Cairo. Following this, the club will participate in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where they have been drawn in Group F alongside Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai. The top two teams from each group will progress to the knockout stages.
Dramatic Soweto Derby Result
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, a dramatic Soweto derby unfolded as Orlando Pirates came from behind to defeat Kaizer Chiefs 2-1. Makabi Lilepo stunned the Pirates faithful by giving Chiefs the lead just two minutes into the game with a sharp strike.
Pirates gradually regained composure, and Evidence Makgopa leveled in the 24th minute, slotting the ball through goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma’s legs. In a stop-start encounter filled with fouls and injury breaks, the winner came in the 69th minute when Relebohile Mofokeng smashed a loose ball into the far corner, sealing the comeback.
The arch-rivals are now set to clash again next Saturday in the South African FA Cup final in Durban.
