Mamelodi Sundowns round off 2024 in style following a 2-0 victory over Richards Bay FC on Saturday afternoon at the King Zwelithini Stadium.
An early impact from Downs was seen as, i3n the 19th minute, Arthur Sales opened the scoring for the Brazilians. It started with Lucas Ribeiro, who made a defense-splitting pass to Sales.
With speed and awareness, Sales dinked the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 1-0. The hosts had an instant response as they shot the ball into the danger zone, but Denis Onyango made a double save to deny them an equalizer.
The intensity was very high, with both sides displaying impressive performances. While Masandawana looked to double their lead with multiple opportunities, the hosts were equally at work and posed numerous threats, but the backline was strong enough to block the chances.
Downs went to the break leading with a goal.Richards Bay came very close to equalizing five minutes into the second stanza, but the effort hit the woodwork.
After the continuous titanic tussle in the second half, Lucas Ribeiro found the back of the net to give his side a 2-0 advantage. He made a comfortable shot to the back post, passing the diving goalkeeper.
The hosts made another effort to find the back of the post, but again, it hit the woodwork, denying them.
In the final minutes of the match, whenever Bafana Ba Style had the ball, they’d keep the ball possession while driving the ball to Richards Bay’s half, looking to score a third. Despite the effort, they finished the game with a 2-0 victory.
