Mamelodi Sundowns came from behind to force a 1-1 draw with Kaizer Chiefs in a Betway Premiership match at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Langelihle Phili grabbed his first-ever goal in Amakhosi colours with a clinical finish in the 64th minute before substitute Cassius Mailula drew level for the Brazilians with 14 minutes remaining. It was the first time for both sides to drop points in this league campaign this season.
FARPost runs through some of the key points observed in this contest.
LEON FAILS TO RISE TO THE OCCASION
Brayan Leon could not make himself felt in such a big match. It was a game in which he struggled and, unusually, had no single shot at goal, with the likes of Sphelele Mkhulise, Antonio van Wyk and Tashreeq Maathews around him.
Such big occasions are the kind of stages he appeared wired for, given his contribution in big games last season after arriving at Sundowns in January. But the Colombian striker was not himself on Saturday, and credit also goes to Chiefs defenders for containing him.
PHILI SHOWED UP WHEN IT MATTERED MOST
Heading into this match, questions remained about whether Phili is a big-game player. He answered with a crucial goal on an afternoon he initially struggled.
For a player who did not have pre-season with Chiefs, he appears to have already settled in at Amakhosi. Phili finished beautifully after a silky move by Siphesihle Ndlovu.
He may not have been a standout player, but he showed up when it mattered most and had a huge say in this match.
DECENT DEBUT FOR MOLOISANE
After being benched in Chiefs’ first three games of the season, Thabo Moloisane finally made his Amakhosi debut against Sundowns. The former Stellenbosch FC star combined well with Inacio Miguel at the heart of defence.
He would have wanted to contribute to a clean sheet, but that was not to be after Miguel and Sibongiseni Mthethwa allowed Cassius Mailula to jump and head in Sundowns’equaliser.
JOHANNES COULD CONVINCE CARDOSO OTHERWISE
Error-prone Kegan Johannes might force coach Miguel Cardoso to reconsider trusting him to start games. The ex-SuperSport United defender has played every minute of Sundowns’ games so far this season.
He has partnered Grant Kekana and Malibongwe Khoza in central defence so far this season. But his poor clearance gifted Ndlovu with a chance to charge before setting up Phili to score for Chiefs.
BAARTMAN NOT GETTING CLEAN BALLS
The former Cape Town Spurs star led Chiefs’ attack on an afternoon when Flavio da Silva and Etiosa Ighodaro were not in the matchday squad. But he could not find the back of the net while being starved of clean balls in the final third.
Even with the introduction of Wandile Duba, who replaced Luke Baartman, Chiefs still looked blunt up front. Perhaps coach Fernando da Cruz might need to work more with his midfielders and wingers to be more creative.
MAILULA AN IMPACT PLAYER FOR MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
This is the second time this season Mailula has had a big say in a match after coming on from the bench. The Limpopo-born striker first rose from the bench in the MTN8 quarter-final against Polokwane City to grab Sundowns’ winning goal in the 3-2 win.
He was back to influence the result when he levelled matters for the Brazilians against Chiefs with just his first touch after being introduced for Matthews.
RELATED STORY: Mkhulise on what makes Kaizer Chiefs tough for Mamelodi Sundowns
