Goal machine Peter Shalulile scored twice as the unstoppable Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Richards Bay 3-2 in the Nedbank Cup round 32 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night.
It was not a free flowing game for Sundowns at first, as the newbies side put up a fight, but when Sundowns got their groove, only one outcome was on its way.
Shalulile broke them away, clipping the opener in the 11th minute of the game.
But Bay fought back hard and in the rare forays they made it count. Denis Onyango was adjudged to have brought down the falling Sakhile Hlongwa and referee Jelly Chavani pointed to the spot kick.
Nkanyiso Zungu struck the penalty viciously in the 30th minute, crashing the crossbar and leaving Rulani Mokwena in the dugout forlorn.
But Mosa Lebusa soon wiped that off, guiding a header just two minutes after the second half had started, rising above to meet Sipho Mbule’s corner.
Shalulile added his second and third for Sundowns in the 55th minute, drilling a powerful shot that Salim Mogoola, who was outstanding in the first half, was left hapless to save.
Katleho Makateng made it interesting late in the game after catching Denis Onyango on the wrong foot in the 90th minute.
Despite the loss, Bay were brave in this game, constructing neat passes in the middle of the park in taking the sting out of their illustrious opponents in the first half and tailored off in the second.
But once Sundowns wrestled the game off, it proved hard for the KwaZulu-Natal side to hold them.
Mogoola was outstanding in the first half, denying Shululile the second just before half time from close range, following a brilliant lay off from Thapelo Morena.
It was then a chastening night for Bay. Sundowns is the most successful club in this competition, having won it four times, including last season when they beat Marumo Gallants in the final.
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They came to this game having not lost in the Nedbank Cup since losing to the Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in the semi final in April 2021. After that they had won the last five matches, scoring 19 goals, all last season to win this cup, including scoring four against Bay in the same stage at Princess Magogo Stadium.
Zungu’s superbly struck penalty was the first time Bay had scored against Sundowns in three matches they have met, having also lost 2-0 in the league match last month.
As Sundowns were the first side to win this competition in the 2007/08 season when Lerato Chabangu’s cracking strike at Johannesburg Stadium against Mpumalanga Black Ace, with the way they are going about their business this season with 15 league win on the bounce, it will take an arms wrestle to take this cup away from them.
