Polokwane - The gap between the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup was laid bare here Saturday night as Mamelodi Sundowns made easy work of Marumo Gallants in this penultimate match of the DStv Premiership’s 2022-23 season.
Mamelodi Sundowns could so easily have won by more than the 2-0 scoreline as they edged closer to registering a record points winning margin of the 16-team PSL era.
Rhulani Mokwena’s team are now on 69 points following their win over Marumo Gallants and victory against Martizburg United in their final match will see them muster a 72 points haul, one more than the current record 71 which they set back in the 2015-16 campaign.
The CAF Champions League semi-finalists hardly needed to shift into fourth gear against their adversaries, who are in the last four of the continent’s second tier club competition - the CAF Confederation Cup
Having just enjoyed a guard of honour from their hosts, Rhulani Mokwena’s men wasted no time in scoring the opening goal, Thapelo Morena finding the net after 25 seconds for the season’s quickest goal.
He had received a splendid pass from the talismanic Themba Zwane, who lofted the ball over the Gallants defence to slot home with ease.
Zwane wore his distribution boots on the night, his passing so precise he could well have been at training. But his efforts were not put to good use by his teammates, with both Peter Shalulile and Sipho Mbule spurning glorious chances in the first half after the Bafana Bafana star had served them the chances on a silver platter.
Morena Magic 💥
A relook at Thapelo Morena’s breakthrough with 25 secs into their i#DStvPrem encounter 👀
📺 Stream live: https://t.co/Tg69y0EeUL pic.twitter.com/jDsqG9486a
Somewhat tired of playing provider, Zwane showed his teammates how it should be done when he slotted home the second goal early after the halftime break.
A good corner kick taken by Teboho Mokonea fell for Shalulile, but his attempt got blocked by Washington Arubi in the Gallants goals. Mshshi, as Zwane is popularly referred to, latched onto the loose ball inside the six-yard box and tapped in to kill the match off as a contest.
Try as they might to get back into it, Gallants just did not have it in them to match the might of the multiple South African champions they’d given a guard of honour prior to kickoff in acknowledgement of Sundowns’ sixth successive championship triumphed.
“We have the toughest programme in the country but we make it look easy”
“I guess they are right, anybody can coach this team”
A spicy Rhulani Mokwena was letting “they” know how he feels 👆 🍿 pic.twitter.com/BwRASI8cjh
On the few occasions the side that is still in danger of getting relegated despite their fantastic continental run, Gallants found Ronwen Williams in uncompromising mood in the visitors’ goals.
The Bafana Bafana goalkeeper pulled off two good saves in the second half to thwart the hosts as they looked to get back into the contest.
While the victory merely cemented Sundowns’ status as the country’s top side and no doubt inspired them ahead of their trip to Wydad Casablanca, defeat spells trouble for Gallants who will go into their final match of the season against Swallows FC in danger of relegation.
And their loss would have sent a message to their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final opponents Young Africans of Tanzania that they can be beaten.
@Tshiliboy