Mamelodi Sundowns are through to the MTN8 final for the first time since 2023. This comes after a 3-2 victory (3-3 on aggregate) against Lamontville Golden Arrows on Sunday at the King Zwelithini Stadium. Goals from Cassius Mailula, Marcelo Allende and Antonio van Wyk won the game for Masandawana.
The hosts’ half was the busier one in the early minutes of the opening half with Masandawana looking to find an early opener. Tashreeq Matthews had the first scoring opportunity but his effort went wide.
Mailula also tried to find the opener for the visitors, with a lobbed effort, as the goal was left unattended but an Arrows defender headed it away. Arrows then ran with the ball to the opposite half with a speedy pace but the scoring effort sailed over the top.
On the 21st minute, Allende made a run from the left flank to find the farpost but his shot from a tight angle was caught by the goalkeeper. A chance to score caught Grant Kekana off guard when it hit his body after Siyanda Ndlovu set him up nicely. Arrows then quickly cleared the ball away from danger.
On the 31st minute, after continuously looking for the back of the net, a goal came from Mailula. After a beautiful play between Ndlovu, Mailula and Allende, Masandawana took the lead, sending the keeper the opposite direction.
Leon almost doubled the advantage when he lobbed the ball inside the box but just before it crossed the line, the Arrows defence cleared the near goal. Bafana Ba Style continued with their dominance while creating more clear-cut chances but couldn’t get it right. So, they went to the interval leading by a goal.
The visitors went into the second stanza with the same intentions of getting an early goal to extend their lead. That opportunity came through Khulumani Ndamane who chested the ball into the net but the referee disallowed the goal.
Abafana Bes’thende’s best chance came on the 52nd minute when their forward was faced with Ronwen Williams and Ndamane. Williams quickly came out to collect the ball to deny the hosts a goal.
Shooting from a standing position, Arrows took advantage of the three-men defence after Ndamane was stretched out of the field. That effort, however, sailed over the bar. Leon’s volley effort, after receiving it through a cut-back from Ndlovu, was caught by a diving keeper to deny a Downs advantage.
On the 70th minute, Arrows took the lead on aggregate after Thapelo Morena’s slide to defend the ball was not enough. Allende saved the day when he snatched back the lead for Downs on the 77th minute. It was substitute, Antonio van Wyk who had set up Allende with a cut-back.
Ndlovu was set up with a through pass that saw him drive the ball to the box but was stopped with a slide tackle as Arrows managed to clear the ball out. Masandawana extended their lead with a beautiful goal from van Wyk who cut inside to take the perfect shot that bounced over the diving keeper to hit the net.