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TS Galaxy stun defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus

Sibusiso Vilakazi and Lifa Hlongwane of TS Galaxy challenge Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns during their DStv Premiership match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night.
Sibusiso Vilakazi and Lifa Hlongwane of TS Galaxy challenge Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns during their DStv Premiership match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

This is hardly the best way to prepare for a crunch meeting with your bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs.

Last season, the all-conquering Mamelodi Sundowns lost only three of their 30 DStv Premiership matches but they have already lost one of their opening two this campaign.

They started the defence of their title with a thumping 3-0 win over Cape Town City last week but they were brought down to earth by TS Galaxy who beat them 1-0 at Loftus on Wednesday night.

Victory for Galaxy was secured through a first-half goal by midfielder Lifa Hlongwane and they could have added more if the likes of Sibusiso Vilakazi  and Mothusi Oubass had found the target.

Galaxy, who registered their first win of the season, dished out a solid team performance but it was exciting young midfielder Aphelele Teto who caught the eye as he rang rings around the Sundowns defence.

For Sundowns, they gave a debut to Ethiopian attacker Abubeker Nasir Ahmed who showed glimpses of potential with some good touches and interchanging play.

The Brazilians have a few days to dust themselves off and prepare for the arrival of Amakhosi in the capital city on Saturday in what promises to be an early season sizzler.

Interest in the meeting between Sundowns and Chiefs has been spiced up by the fact that Amakhosi convincingly beat Maritzburg United 3-0 on Tuesday with exciting starlet Mduduzi Shabalala scoring the last goal.

The first real chance of the match came the way of Sundowns just after the half-hour mark when attacking midfielder Themba Zwane forced a diving save from Galaxy goalkeeper Melusi Buthelezi.

Zwane unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box but alert Buthelezi reacted with an acrobatic save to parry the ball for a corner kick as Sundowns threatened.

From the resultant corner kick, Galaxy defender Pogiso Sanoka nearly shot himself in the foot as his header went straight at his goalkeeper as he tried to clear the danger.

Galaxy regrouped and launched a quick counterattack that resulted in Hlongwane opening the scoring after 34 minutes with a left-footed shot after Williams failed to deal with a delivery by Oubass.

The goal injected more purpose in the work of Galaxy and they found another way past the disorganised Sundowns defence but Vilakazi was denied by Williams.

Sundowns launched attack after attack at Galaxy in the closing stages but they could not find the equaliser with Gaston Sirono’s glaring miss deep into injury time summing up their night.

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