Sundowns Fend Off Early Challenge to Beat Magesi and Extend League Lead

Mamelodi Sundowns maintained their position at the top of the Betway Premiership following a tough 2-1 victory against Magesi FC at Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Wonderboy Makhubu gave Magesi an early lead, which they held onto going into the halftime break.

However, Sundowns came back strong in the second half. Lucas Ribeiro Costa scored a brilliant goal, executing a volley after a setup from Arthur Sales.

Peter Shalulile appeared to have doubled Sundowns’ lead with a header, but the goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside.

Despite this setback, Sundowns secured the win. A cross attempt by Tashreeq Matthews took a deflection off a Magesi defender, surprising goalkeeper Elvisi Chipezeze and finding the net just four minutes before the final whistle.

The match concluded with both teams reduced to ten men, as Samuel Darpoh and Divine Lunga were sent off in the final moments following a confrontation.

This victory served as sweet revenge for Sundowns, who previously endured a difficult loss to Magesi in the Carling Knockout final last November. That defeat resulted in the departure of Magesi coach Clinton Larsen, who has since been replaced by Owen da Gama, who is still searching for his first win since taking over.

Sundowns have extended their lead at the top of the Betway Premiership to 33 points after 12 matches, putting them six points ahead of second-placed Orlando Pirates, who have a game in hand.

The Pirates’ upcoming match against Royal AM was postponed on Thursday due to the financial difficulties encountered by the KwaZulu-Natal club.

Magesi currently sits at the bottom of the league table with only seven points from 13 matches. Despite the loss, they demonstrated admirable resilience against Sundowns and are likely to draw motivation from their performance in upcoming fixtures.