Mamelodi Sundowns left-back Aubrey Modiba was brutally honest about winning the Man of the Match award against Stellenbosch FC, admitting he was surprised to receive the accolade.
Modiba was in the starting line-up when Sundowns played to a frustrating 1-1 draw against Stellenbosch FC in the Betway Premiership at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Brazilians dropped crucial points in the title race, missing a big opportunity to reclaim the top spot on the league table. Orlando Pirates remained at the summit of the log standings with 58 points in 25 games, while Sundowns are sitting in second position with 57 points and one game in hand.
Sundowns and Pirates are in a two-horse race for the title, with Masandawana looking to clinch the trophy for the ninth successive season while the Soweto giants are aiming to win the league for the first time since 2012.
In a crucial clash against Stellenbosch, Sundowns imposed themselves early in the game and scored an opener through Katlego Ntshabeleng in the 27th minute. As Downs looked to be on course to collect maximum points, Stellies won a penalty after Khulumani Ndamane brought Chumani Butsaka down in the penalty box.
Pirates loanee Tshegofatso Mabasa stepped up to take the spot kick, which was saved by Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams; however, the talisman pounced on the rebound, forcing a draw in the dying minutes of the match.
WHAT MODIBA SAID ABOUT RECEIVING THE MAN-OF-THE-MATCH AWARD AGAINST STELLENBOSCH
Before Sundowns scored in the first-half, Stellenbosch nearly opened the scoring after Modiba made a mistake that was almost punished by Stellenbosch star Devin Titus.
Despite producing a shaky performance, the Bafana Bafana international clinched the Man-of-the-Match award.
Speaking during a post-match interview on SuperSport TV, Modiba expressed his surprise at being named Man of the Match.
“I don’t know how I’m feeling; I have mixed feelings. I don’t even know how I got the Man-of-the-Match award. But we’ll just take the point, and I’m very disappointed with how we conceded the goal,” Modiba said.
“We should have done better as a team. Maybe this point will take us far, but we are very disappointed because we should have won the game had we taken our chances.”
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