Keanu Cupido's own goal mirrors father's blunder as Sundowns draw with Gallants

It was not as spectacular or as costly as the one scored by his father nearly four decades ago. But Keanu Cupido netted an own goal that saw Mamelodi Sundowns drop two crucial points in their quest for a ninth successive Betway Premiership title as they drew 1-1 at Marumo Gallants on Wednesday night.

The Brazilians youngster will no doubt get home to find comfort and solace from a man who knows all about stabbing himself with an arrow — his father Gregory having cost his team a knockout title back in 1986. For the uninitiated, Cupido senior slid the ball into his own net during extra time of the Mainstay Cup final between his Jomo Cosmos and Mamelodi Sundowns for what turned out to be the match’s solitary goal.

While Cupido lay tummy-sprawled on the pitch looking like he wished the ground would swallow him up and save him from the embarrassment, his son was not as distraught at the Molemela Stadium last night. Unlike his father, his own goal was more a case of an unfortunate bounce rather than a failed clearance.

Forceful play by Player of the Match Phillip Ndlondlo saw Rownen Williams manage to block the ball — only for the onrushing Cupido to have it bounce off him and into the empty net. He was disappointed, of course, and lay flat on his back, looking at the heavens.

An “auto” as it was, the goal was just reward for a Gallants side that lived up to their name and fought gallantly, having gone down 1-0 earlier to an Iqraam Rayners strike. It was the easiest goal the SAFJA Footballer of the Year would score — the Capetonian heading in unmarked on the penalty spot following a splendid cross by Thapelo Morena.

While guilty of poor marking for the opener, Gallants were not discouraged and made a contest of the tie, going at Sundowns with Ndlondlo as their livewire — fetching the ball and carrying it with some aplomb.

Daniel Mdendami made a nuisance of himself on the right flank and continuously peppered the Sundowns goal with attacks and shots. He wasted a glorious chance on 18 minutes when he made a brilliant run to receive a free kick behind the Sundowns defence — only to shoot wide of Williams’ goal.

Yet, it was typically the Brazilians who enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and had the better scoring chances. Peter Shalulile showed his class in the first half when he received a pass from Arthur Sales and smashed a left-footer on the turn, but sent it just over the bar.

That Washington Arubi berated his defenders for allowing the Namibian striker time and space for that shot told of his understanding of the danger Shalulile posed.

Then Tashreeq Matthews got two chances in quick succession in the second half — first sending the ball into the side-netting from the right before forcing a good save out of Arubi with a powerful shot following a brilliant team build-up.

Some 20 minutes before the end, Sundowns brought in Khuliso Mudau for his first start of the season following his battle with the club, and the right-back looked hungry for action as he battled for possession and tried to make himself a pest for the opposition with some darting runs.

In the end though, Sundowns had to rue that calamitous error by Cupido — just when Williams had appeared to thwart Ndlondlo — an own goal that is sure to rekindle some 40-year-old pain in his father Gregory, as the Brazilians lost the chance to go top of the table ahead of Sekhukhune United.