Johannesburg - Another game, another win, another clean sheet! That was the order of events as Mamelodi Sundowns continued to soar under Rhulani Mokwena.
At a wet King Zwelithini Stadium on Friday night, Downs made light work of Richards Bay, a side they beat 2-0 to extend their lead to 10 points at the top.
For the KwaZulu-Natal side, though, this defeat was a wakeup call, having been on a purple patch. They remained third on the standings with 24 points after 15 games.
Sundowns have been dominating the league of late that they were tipped to get competition from rivals Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs this season.
But that hasn’t been the case. Pirates and Chiefs have been stuttering, with cross-town rivals SuperSport United and Richards putting in the fight so far.
Richards were the surprise packages of the first half of the season as they started life in the elite league on a high, finishing second last year.
Albeit ending the year with a win over Swallows FC, though, the Natal Rich Boys were set to get a run for their money against the runaway champions.
Sundowns are simply too good 🤩
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) January 6, 2023
Cassius Mailula won’t stop scoring 👏
📺 Stream #DStvPrem live: https://t.co/Tg69y0EeUL@McDonalds_SA pic.twitter.com/ATelvUQc9s
And Mokwena’s men didn’t disappoint. They took the game to Richards from the start, using Caissius Mailula and Haashim Domingo as wide runners.
Mailula who has been a hot property since filling in for Peter Shalulile late last year put captain Themba Zwane through with a nice back-heel in the box.
But Zwane struck the upright and forced a save out of Salim Magoola before the latter denied him again from pinpoint after a through ball from Mailula.
Magoola’s exploits wouldn’t have shocked Sundowns, having come into this game tied with their keeper Ronwen Williams on 10 clean sheets thus far.
That solid streak looked to continue for the Ugandan even though Sundowns flocked his box with neat passes as Neo Maema missed from close-range.
The points are coming home with The Brazilians! A strong win in tricky conditions in KZN! 👆
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) January 6, 2023
Richards Bay FC 0️⃣➖2️⃣ Mamelodi Sundowns (39' Mailula, 66' Domingo) #Sundowns #DownsLive #DStvPrem pic.twitter.com/e7P5z6pCYv
But that wasn’t to be. Aubrey Modiba launched a weighted lobbed effort that flew over the defence and connected with Mailula who lobbed Magoola.
That goal took Mailula’s tally to five goals in as many league games. A great return for a player who was thrown in the deep in his first top-flight season.
Having not conceded and won by less than two goals since Mokwena ascended to the throne, Downs were expected to swiftly double their tally.
Instead, the home side were resilient. So much so that after dominating early in the second half, they should have been rewarded for their fine exploits.
Sanele Barns and substitute Yamela Mbuthuma shared neat passes down the flank before the former broke free to put in a delightful ball in the box.
That loose ball found Luvuyo Memela who unleashed a hard and low shot on the far side, but Williams pulled a save, blocking the shot for a corner-kick.
But such is the mentality of champions they thrive under pressure. Domingo tapped home a rebound after Marcelo Allende's shot was saved by Magoola.
Magoola will be disappointed with his contribution in both goals as he moved off his line in the first before his poor clearance resulted in the second strike.
The Ugandan blocked Modiba's close-range shot late in the second half, but that was too little too late as Sundowns hung on for a ninth win in a row.
Meanwhile, in the the other game of the day Swallows were 2-0 winners over Chippa United.
@MihlaliBaleka