The secret behind Onyango's heroics

Penalty-spots meltdowns in cup finals have often been reserved for Mamelodi Sundowns when they face Kaizer Chiefs.

Brian Baloyi and Itumeleng Khune became mental bulwarks Sundowns players could not overcome.

But on Wednesday night the boot was on the other foot as Denis Onyango outfoxed Siphiwe Tshabalala and Camaldine Abraw.

The importance of the two penalty saves cannot be understated in the context of Sundowns winning their first Telkom Knockout Cup final in 16 years.

For the Ugandan No 1, foiling Chiefs from the penalty spot was a matter of consulting his teammates about specific penalty takers and their preferences. It also gave an insight into Pitso Mosimane's meticulous preparation.

"When it came to the penalties, we knew what they were capable of and we have been studying them since the league break. We knew which directions which players prefer, but I also had to consult some of the players about specific players and their penalty preferences," Onyango said.

"I was told where to go when Tshabalala was taking his penalty and I had to consult [fellow keeper] Kennedy Mweene when Abraw was taking his penalty. I had to trust them and follow those directions. It was a team effort and I could have never done it alone."

Onyango has had little game time at Sundowns due to their rich goalkeeping stocks. He has been restricted to sporadic appearances under different coaches who favoured Mweene and Wayne Sandilands before Mosimane showed faith in him.

It was the former Bafana coach who recruited him from St George's Sports Club in Addis Ababa in 2006 and the investment in him is starting to reap handsome dividends.

"Pitso's the one who brought me to South Africa at SuperSport United and he believed in me. Even though I had to go to Wits on loan, he never stopped believing in me and I think that detour helped me because I needed to get a little bit more game time," Onyango said.

"He knew what I could do for the team and when I play well, the entire team benefits."