Sundowns boss praises goalkeeper Onyango

by Graeme Jackson

Monday Sep 14, 2020. 08:59

Mamelodi Sundowns manager Pitso Mosimane has hailed the influence of Ugandan goalkeeper Denis Onyango in their Nedbank Cup final victory this past weekend.

Gaston Sirino scored the Brazilians’ goal in their 1-0 triumph over Bloemfontein Celtic – with the result securing a domestic treble of trophies – but Onyango was equally important in making a couple of key saves, including one late on from Andile Fikizolo.

“It was really a tough game for us,” Mosimane told SuperSport cameras after the match, as quoted by Goal.

“I think Denis [Onyango] saved us, two chances in the first-half and the second-half but the game came out exactly the way we expected because of the pattern that they play.

“We had to frustrate them on that, not giving [Victor] Letsoalo and [Ndumiso] Mabena enough chance, then they resorted to long balls because they want to use the quick players, [Tebogo] Potsane and them.”

However, there is something of a cloud over Sundowns’ success, with the team almost using an ineligible player.

Tebogo Langerman was still named among the Sundowns substitutes, though he was supposed to have been suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

Mosimane even moved to introduce the player as a substitute late in the game, though ultimately they instead used Thapelo Morena to replace starting left-back Lyle Lakay.

Celtic are understood to have lodged a complaint and it remains to be seen whether there will be any further repercussions.