Sundowns brush aside Bidvest Wits

by Austin Ditlhobolo

Tuesday Nov 21, 2017. 21:38

Mamelodi Sundowns beat Bidvest Wits 2-0 in an Absa Premiership match at the Bidvest Stadium on Tuesday night.

As a result, Sundowns move to fourth spot on the league table, while Wits remain 15th on the standings.

The Brazilians threatened first through Tebogo Langerman, who forced Wits goalkeeper Darren Keet into a decent save a few minutes into game.

The Clever Boys were struggling to penetrate the Sundowns defence and test keeper Denis Onyango, who had a relatively quiet first-half.

Keet had to be alert in the 17th minute and he produced a wonderful save to deny Thapelo Morena as the visitors searched for the opening goal.

Wits wing-back Thato Tlhone tried his luck from range in the 26th minute and his effort missed the target without troubling Onyango.

Pressure mounted on the Clever Boys defence and Sibusiso Vilakazi hit the woodwork with the half-time break fast approaching.

The score was 0-0 at interval between Wits and Sundowns after Keet denied Vilakazi on the stroke of half-time.

Sundowns head coach Pitso Mosimane made the first change of the game 11 minutes into the second-half.

Khama Billiat, who replaced Morena, proved to be a super-sub as fired past Keet to make it 1-0 to Sundowns in the 62nd minute.

Gavin Hunt, the Wits head coach, responded by introducing James Keene three minutes later.

The English striker had scored the only goal of the match as Wits beat Chiefs 1-0 in a Telkom Knockout Cup semi-final clash on Saturday.

But Billiat sealed Sundowns' 2-0 victory with a clinical finish in the closing stages of the game with the Wits defence exposed.

Wits (0)
Sundowns (0) 2 (Billiat 62', 81')

Wits: Keet, Ntshangase, Mkhwanazi, Hlanti, Frosler, Tlhone (Keene 65'), Mlambo, Monare, Pelembe (Pule 69'), Klate, Gamal.

Sundowns: Onyango, Morena (Billiat 56'), Langerman, Soumahoro, Ngcongca (Laffor 85'), Madisha, Kekana, Mabunda, Manyisa, Tau, Vilakazi (Zwane 81').