Sundowns advance to Nedbank Cup semi-finals

Thamsanqa Mkhize of Cape Town City battles for the ball with Sibusiso Vilakazi of Mamelodi Sundowns during the 2018 Nedbank Cup Quarterfinal football Match between Cape Town City FC and Mamelodi Sundowns at Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on 1 April 2018 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

by Austin Ditlhobolo

Sunday Apr 01, 2018. 17:04

Mamelodi Sundowns beat Cape Town City 2-1 in the Nedbank Cup quarter-final match at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The win sees Brazilians advance to the semi-finals, while the Citizens crashed out of the lucrative tournament.

The hosts nearly took an early lead when Ronald Putsche's powerful shot beat Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango three minutes into the game, but the ball narrowly missed the target.

City were looking to beat Onyango from range as Ayanda Patosi's thunderous long-range attempt went inches wide of the target in the seventh minute as the hosts searched for the opening goal.

Sundowns should have broken the deadlock just before the half-hour mark when Khama Billiat beat his marker and he passed the ball to Gaston Sirino, whose effort hit the upright and City cleared their lines.

The Brazilians continued to dominate and Sibusiso Vilakazi also watched on in disbelief as his effort hit the post with City goalkeeper Sage Stephens well beaten in the 36th minute.

City and Sundowns were locked at 0-0 at the interval following a lively first-half in South Africa's legislative capital, Cape Town.

A second-half which was dominated by Sundowns followed and they deservedly took the lead through Percy Tau, who scored from close range to make it 1-0 to the visitors eight minutes after the restart.

It was soon 2-0 to Sundowns as Hlompho Kekana hit the back of the net with a world class long-range shot to make it 2-0 to the visitors, much to the delight of the away fans inside the iconic Cape Town Stadium.

However, the Citizens pressed the Brazilians and they did pull one back through Bradley Ralani, who beat three defenders, before firing past Onyango to make it 2-1 much to the delight of the home fans.

Sundowns then contained City in the dying minutes of the entertaining game and the visitors emerged 2-1 winners on the day.

CT City (0) 1 (Ralani 69')
Sundowns (0) 2 (Tau 53', Kekana 62')

CT City: Stephens, Mkhize, Fielies, Johannes, Edmilson, Putsche, Matsi (Juma 62'), Nodada, Ralani (Basadien 81'), Masina (Katerengga 46'), Patosi.

Sundowns: Onyango, Langerman, Morena, Arendse, Nascimento, Mabunda, Vilakazi, Kekana, Sirino (Madisha 87'), Billiat (Zwane 79'), Tau.