There was nothing adventurous, or do-or-die about this MTN8 opening match. If anything, it was an unwatchable and scrappy affair, especially in the first stanza, when the hosts managed their first shot on target only on the stroke of half-time.
Luckily for a few home fans who bothered to attend, things changed slightly for the better after Mamelodi Sundowns took the lead early after the restart.
That the delay in seeing the only goal of the match occurred despite Moroka Swallows playing most of the first half with 10 men after the early ejection of Andile Jali, shows how awkward this game was.
Jali, a former Sundowns midfielder who joined Swallows alongside former Downs assistant coach Steve Komphela during the off-season, was judged by referee Cedric Muvhali to have posed grave danger to Teboho Mokoena’s leg when they clashed in the seventh minute.
Sundowns had 72% of the ball in the first half, but it came to nothing when one looks at how Rulani Mokwena’s side wasted opportunity after opportunity. Mokoena, Zwane, Marcelo Allende, Neo Modiba and Aubrey Modiba lacked their usual accuracy and sharpness in feeding strikers Thapelo Maseko and Lucas Ribeiro Costa.
Swallows, on the other hand, relied on the counter after losing Jali, which resulted in the visitors having no shot on target in the first 45 minutes. All they were concerned about was stopping Sundowns from opening the score.
However, they didn’t have to do much defending as Sundowns players often spurned their chances without anyone challenging them. The game turned for the better in the second stanza as Sundowns started to play with more precision and direction.
Zwane was the beneficiary of a slick Sundowns attack, this time fed by Costa, to open the scoring just three minutes into the second stanza. Maseko was also unlucky to see his low shot missing the Swallows net by a few inches, as Sundowns continued to push for more goals.
Immediately after that attempt Maseko was stretchered off the field injured, forcing Mokwena to bring on Lesiba Nku, a former Marumo Gallants player. Maseko’s exit coincided with Sundowns taking their foot off the pedal.
There was just one team that attacked in this match. Swallows had no capacity nor idea on how to break away from their own half. Stats showed that Swallows only had one shot on target from three attempts in the entire match.
That this happened in a cup tie is quite horrific for Komphela’s side, which is yet to win a match in three attempts this season. Seeing that Swallows posed no threat, Mokwena gave central defender Bathusi Aubaas the licence to join the attack when they had the ball.
But in the end Sundowns failed to capitalise on their chances despite dominating in both halves. Sundowns had 16 attempts and only seven on target. That they scored only one goal will give Mokwena sleepless nights as he tries to figure out how they can turn their advantage into more goals.
But having won all their three matches in the 2023-2024 campaign, Mokwena will sleep better than Komphela, seeing his side is in the semifinals of this competition.
Mamelodi Sundowns (0) 1 - Moroka Swallows (0) 0
Scorers: Sundowns - Themba Zwane (48m)
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