Brilliant goals from Rushine De Reuck and Peter Shalulile handed Mamelodi Sundowns their 13th straight win, sending them 19 points clear at the top of the league.
TS Galaxy failed to complete a double over Sundowns after beating them 1-0 in the first round. They lost 2-1 on Tuesday night at the Mbombela Stadium.
It didn’t matter that Sundowns head coach Rulani Mokwena made eight changes from the team that played Kaizer Chiefs over the weekend. The Tshwane giants were just unstoppable.
SUNDOWNS MADE SEVERAL CHANGES
Mokwena rested a number of his regular starters – Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Mothobi Mvala, Marcelo Allende, Neo Maema, Aubrey Modiba, Cassius Mailula and Khuliso Mudau.
Only two starters from the Chiefs game – Peter Shalulile and Themba Zwane – featured in the Galaxy encounter.
Rare starts were given to the likes of Sipho Mbule, Denis Onyango, Andile Jali and Sphelele Mkhulise.
Sundowns got their opening goal early in the game through a De Reuck header after Gaston Sirino flighted a beautiful cross into the box.
The goal meant that 17 out of 19 times, the defending champions have scored first and 13 times successively.
After that goal, play had to be stopped after the Bafana Bafana defender sustained what seemed to be a head injury. Harambee Stars defender Brian Onyango Mandela replaced him.
DOMINATED THE ACTION
Nonetheless, Sundowns continued to dominate the action. In the 31st minute, Sirino only had the goalkeeper to beat but missed the target by inches after being set up by Zwane.
Zwane set him up again a minute later, but his first touch let him down.
Sifiso Ngobeni sent in a cross in the 34th minute, but Shalulile failed to connect.
The Namibian got his eighth goal of the season in the 64th minute, with a bit of a scruffy finish.
It came off a well-worked move between Zwane and the surefooted Sipho Mbule, who effortlessly unlocked the Galaxy defence before Sifiso Ngobeni sent in a cross that was met by Shalulile.
The goal saw him shoot to the top of the scorers’ chart despite missing several matches due to injury.
Sirino could have made it three after Thapelo Morena set him up in the 67th minute. With just the goalkeeper to beat, he failed to connect.
In the 95th minute, TS Galaxy’s Djakaridja Traore pulled one back from the penalty spot. Denis Onyango, under pressure, fouled a Galaxy player in the box and the referee pointed to the spot.
Traore made no mistake, as he scored his fourth goal, ending his team’s four-match goalless run. The defeat leaves Galaxy in position 12 after 18 games.
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