If there were doubts that Mamelodi Sundowns have been the best team in Africa of the past year there can be no more, after they lifted one more continental trophy, the Caf Super Cup, with Saturday’s 1-0 win against Tout Puissant Mazembe.
Ricardo Nascimento’s 83rd-minute penalty came after immense sustained pressure from Downs against the Democratic Republic of Congo giants.
It might have been played out on home Loftus Versfeld soil, but this Super Cup had a European cup final feel to it. As many as 15 000 of Gauteng’s immense DR Congolese immigrant community filled the lower east stand, rivalling their Sundowns counterparts in number.
Mazembe had the greater pedigree – five Champions League titles and three Super Cups to Downs’ one of the former.
Sundowns knew that if they could not wrap up one more continental prize by beating TP on home soil, questions would already start to be asked on the continent of their 2016 Caf Champions League victory, impressively gained as it was, as a one-off.
They kept their nerve, and muscled past Mazembe with tactical superiority. In the end, Sundowns were just the better team.
Mazembe might have lost four players to Europe recently but they lined up with an imposing assortment of the DRC and foreign internationals club president Moise Katumbi has enjoyed collecting for his jewel box.
Their stars included Ivory Coast goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo, the Ghanaian pair of Solomon Asante on the left wing and Daniel Adjei at playmaker, and Zambians Nathan Sinkala in defensive midfield and Rainford Kalaba at deep striker.
It is not often Downs’ stars – the same line-up from coach Pitso Mosimane, apart from Wayne Arendse back in central defence for Soumahoro Bangaly, that demolished Orlando Pirates 6-0 here last Saturday – will feel matched on paper. This was one such occasion.
A first 15 minutes played at a frightening pace should have seen both sides, but especially Mazembe, score.
In the ninth minute big striker Ben Malango cantered through on a break and – in a let-off similar to Gift Motupa’s for Pirates a week ago, and even onto the same left upright – hit the woodwork. Not once, though, but twice, the second time off Downs keeper Denis Onyango.
Sundowns had three half-chances in reply in a too ragged start. They slowed the game. As play became tactical Downs needed to work harder for the chances, but also conceded no more.
Anthony Laffor and Khama Billiat combined for three opportunities before the break.
From the change rooms Downs played a waiting chess game where they slowly removed the important pieces.
They probed intelligently. They knew they were the Champions League winners, so should theoretically be the slightly stronger side than the Confederation Cup holders. And they had home advantage.
Hlompo Kekana slammed a rocket at Gbohouo. Billiat put Laffor through who inexcusably missed the target. Tau and Tiyani Mabunda combined for the latter to force a stop from five metres from Gbohouo.
In the 78th Downs’ moment of reward for their patient utilisation of almost all the possession appeared to arrive. Tau was played onside and fed Laffor inside, who calmly beat Salif Coulibaly, but could not beat Gbohouo.
A goal had to come. In the 80th Sinkala’s back-pass was to Tau, who found Billiat to feed Kekana, who was challenged with great contact by left-back Issama Mpeko.
Egyptian referee Ghead Grisha pointed to the spot, and Nascimento rolled past at Gbohouo at the left upright.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
Sundowns beat TP Mazembe to win Caf Super Cup
If there were doubts that Mamelodi Sundowns have been the best team in Africa of the past year there can be no more, after they lifted one more continental trophy, the Caf Super Cup, with Saturday’s 1-0 win against Tout Puissant Mazembe.
Ricardo Nascimento’s 83rd-minute penalty came after immense sustained pressure from Downs against the Democratic Republic of Congo giants.
It might have been played out on home Loftus Versfeld soil, but this Super Cup had a European cup final feel to it. As many as 15 000 of Gauteng’s immense DR Congolese immigrant community filled the lower east stand, rivalling their Sundowns counterparts in number.
Mazembe had the greater pedigree – five Champions League titles and three Super Cups to Downs’ one of the former.
Sundowns knew that if they could not wrap up one more continental prize by beating TP on home soil, questions would already start to be asked on the continent of their 2016 Caf Champions League victory, impressively gained as it was, as a one-off.
They kept their nerve, and muscled past Mazembe with tactical superiority. In the end, Sundowns were just the better team.
Mazembe might have lost four players to Europe recently but they lined up with an imposing assortment of the DRC and foreign internationals club president Moise Katumbi has enjoyed collecting for his jewel box.
Their stars included Ivory Coast goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo, the Ghanaian pair of Solomon Asante on the left wing and Daniel Adjei at playmaker, and Zambians Nathan Sinkala in defensive midfield and Rainford Kalaba at deep striker.
It is not often Downs’ stars – the same line-up from coach Pitso Mosimane, apart from Wayne Arendse back in central defence for Soumahoro Bangaly, that demolished Orlando Pirates 6-0 here last Saturday – will feel matched on paper. This was one such occasion.
A first 15 minutes played at a frightening pace should have seen both sides, but especially Mazembe, score.
In the ninth minute big striker Ben Malango cantered through on a break and – in a let-off similar to Gift Motupa’s for Pirates a week ago, and even onto the same left upright – hit the woodwork. Not once, though, but twice, the second time off Downs keeper Denis Onyango.
Sundowns had three half-chances in reply in a too ragged start. They slowed the game. As play became tactical Downs needed to work harder for the chances, but also conceded no more.
Anthony Laffor and Khama Billiat combined for three opportunities before the break.
From the change rooms Downs played a waiting chess game where they slowly removed the important pieces.
They probed intelligently. They knew they were the Champions League winners, so should theoretically be the slightly stronger side than the Confederation Cup holders. And they had home advantage.
Hlompo Kekana slammed a rocket at Gbohouo. Billiat put Laffor through who inexcusably missed the target. Tau and Tiyani Mabunda combined for the latter to force a stop from five metres from Gbohouo.
In the 78th Downs’ moment of reward for their patient utilisation of almost all the possession appeared to arrive. Tau was played onside and fed Laffor inside, who calmly beat Salif Coulibaly, but could not beat Gbohouo.
A goal had to come. In the 80th Sinkala’s back-pass was to Tau, who found Billiat to feed Kekana, who was challenged with great contact by left-back Issama Mpeko.
Egyptian referee Ghead Grisha pointed to the spot, and Nascimento rolled past at Gbohouo at the left upright.
- TMG Digital/TMG Sport
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