Seven-up! As Downs rout Chiefs for glory

KAIZER CHIEFS (1)

Shabala 85’

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (5)

Matthews 52, 81’ Esquivel 56’, Ribeiro 88’, Lorch 90+4

AT FNB STADIUM - Mamelodi Sundowns wrapped up their seventh DStv Premiership title in a row with six games to go after smashing Kaizer Chiefs 5-1 at FNB on Thursday night.

It was a test passed for Sundowns, and they’ll now have reason to believe they could be ‘invincibles’ after extending their unbeaten run to 26 league games.

Sundowns had to be mentally sharp here in Soweto given that despite Chiefs’ incredible downfall in the last nine years, this remained a rivalry match.

Chiefs are still regarded as ‘Cup Kings of SA football’, but such has been Sundowns’ dominance they are hellbent on taking over that tag.

Sundowns reiterated their intentions in style here tonight, giving Chiefs a football lesson that could have well put their top eight hopes in jeopardy as well.

Coach Rulani Mokwena also had a score to settle with his struggling mentor Cavin Johnson, largely proving that he has grown to be his own man.

And for all Johnson’s ‘father-son’ figure affection before kick-off, grabbing Mokwena by the neck before giving him a warm hug and a small chat, he got the message.

Mokwena has now won his first DStv Premiership title as Sundowns' head coach and will be looking at the Champions League as his next Holy Grail.

Sundowns will not quickly pop the champagne bottles as they’ll remember they have Stellenbosch waiting for them in the Nedbank Cup semi-final on Sunday.

Chiefs’ supporters will feel the hard-done by the result as they had done their best to get his team in the groove, booing Sundowns enroute to their warm-ups.

Chiefs, though, still had to back up their supporters’ support where it mattered the most: produce a win that would delay Sundowns’ coronation. But it wasn’t to be!

At first, they look to heed to that call - Ashley Du Preez racing through Sundowns’ defence like a hot knife through butter, but only to waste the final product.

It was certainly not the wasteful start that Chiefs would have wanted as they seemed to all but play into the wrong playlist of the Dj before the game.

The DJ was awful for a great while before kick-off as he played funky music – Gqom – which seemed to start Sundowns’ party that led to Amakhosi’s annihilation.

Sundowns’ party started as early as the 19th minute as Chiefs were reduced to 10 after Given Msimango was shown red by referee Abongile Tom.

After Sundowns cleared a Chiefs scramble, Lucas Ribeiro raced free on goal, peeling off Chiefs’ defence, before Msimango hacked him down.

Having the Brazilian been through on goal, with Bruce Bvuma, the goalkeeper, the only player in his sight, Tom unreluctantly showed Msimango red.

And for all the dubious refereeing decisions that have been made recently, Tom made the right call as Msimango got Ribeiro’s leg before the ball.

Chiefs’ faithful showed the dejected Msimango sympathy, applauding him off the pitch. But their job was not down as they had to rally their 10 men on.

Bvuma was Amakhosi’s darling in the first half, the goalkeeper making up for his early miskick, which saw him being jeered, with two quick saves.

Bvuma initially parried away Tashreeq Matthews' effort and the resultant rebound fell for Thembinkosi Lorch who hit a curler that Bvuma fisted away.

While Sundowns threatened with every foray into the box, Chiefs settled for hoofing the ball into Sundowns half in search of Du Preez and Co.

And that didn’t bear fruit as the two sides had a defining second half to play which the Brazilians didn’t waste time in grabbing by the scruff of the neck.

Ribeiro unleashed a delightful defence splitting pass which found an unmarked Matthews who didn’t have much to do instead of toe-poking the ball past Bvuma.

The visiting Yellow Nation switched on their celebratory mode as they burst open a yellow and green flare that engulfed the FNB and Soweto skies.

Those celebrations went up a notch soon thereafter as Matias Esquivel gave the Brazilians comfort in an incredible fashion.

The Argentine ‘danced his way’ into Chiefs’ box - leaving Thatayaone Ditlhokwe to eat grass- before hitting a shot that took a deflection off Zitha Kwinika.

Matthews completed his brace after hitting a thunderbolt from close-range before Mduduzi Shabalala scored Chiefs’ consolation from the penalty spot.

Sundowns ensured that they returned to Chloorkop with a ‘fifer’ (in cricket terms) after Ribeiro and Thembinkosi Lorch sealed off the rout and the title in hostile territory.