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Jeremy Brockie on target as Sundowns make a meal of Vegetarianos

Mamelodi Sundowns' New Zealand striker Jeremy Brockie (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal in the 5-1 Caf Champions League group stage qualifying second leg match against Leones Vegatarianos at Loftus on December 5 2018. Sundowns won 71 on aggregate.
Mamelodi Sundowns' New Zealand striker Jeremy Brockie (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal in the 5-1 Caf Champions League group stage qualifying second leg match against Leones Vegatarianos at Loftus on December 5 2018. Sundowns won 71 on aggregate.
Image: Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

When they drew a team from Equatorial-Guinea in the preliminary round of the Caf Champions League, Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane bemoaned that other South African teams had drawn fishermen.

But Sundowns made a light meal of Leones Vegetarianos (translated as Vegetarian Lions), completing a 7-1 aggregate thrashing with Wednesday night's 5-1 second-leg stroll at at Loftus Versfeld.

Jeremy Brockie in the fourth minute and Gaston Sirino with a penalty in 18th put Downs 2-0 up.

Seydou Sall pulled one back in the 46th, but it was a lonely reply to Downs' continued onslaught by Hlompho Kekana (55th), Jose Ali Meza (60th) and Lyle Lakay (86th).

Vegetarianos were all over the place like a mixed salad in the first half, and could easily have gone to the break more than 2-0 down.

By the fourth minute, Sundowns had a lead. They opened Leones like a can opener to a tin of beans.

Themba Zwane, on the right of the box, passed inside to find the run of Sirino, who squared again to find Brockie free to finish like a centre-forward finding his confidence. It was the Kiwi's third in five games, and second of the tie.

The chances came in a procession like a string of peas.

Lebogang Maboe put Zwane in on the left to hit the upright.

Vegetarianos defender Ildefonso Asterio made a cabbage of a situation in his box in the 17th to gift Sundowns a penalty.

Winning the ball from Brockie, the left-back seemed to assume he had been fouled and controlled the ball with his hand.

The whistle had apparently not been blown, and the referee then did blow, pointing to the spot. Sirino stepped up and slotted low to the right of Pensy.

Mosimane opted for the pace of Meza for Brockie from the break.

A lapse from Downs soon after the restart - Mosa Lebusa strangely being caught for pace to the run of the awkwardly gangly centre-forward Sall, who turned the Downs centreback to leave him sprawling then finished past Denis Onyango - allowed Leones a goal back.

Sundowns captain Kekana, though, put his team straight back on the front foot, taking a ball from 22 metres onto his less favoured left foot and striking crisply past Pensy to make it 3-0, and 5-1 on aggregate.

Zwane shrugged off centreback Eric Batinga twice on the left to advance and square for Meza, as Downs strolled in their fourth of the night, and the Venezuelan finally his first for his new club.

As Downs continued to flex their muscles Anthony Laffor and Toni Silva followed Meza off the bench. 

Sirino's skill on the left of the area created the space for left-back Lakay to slide in the fifth.

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