Bafana Ba Style’s Unbeaten Streak Ended in 1-0 Loss Against Arrows
Mamelodi Sundowns have recorded their first league loss of the season following the 1-0 defeat against Lamontville Golden Arrows on Wednesday afternoon at the King Zwelithini Stadium.
The visitors looked composed and settled in the opening minutes of the stanza as they took control of the game. They looked to find the back of the net early, but their opportunities were quickly closed down by the Arrows’ defence squad.
Abafana Besthende were also imposing danger on the counterattack. Their first counter opportunity saw Ronwen Williams coming from his line to sweep the ball. The second one was when the ball entered the danger area, but Keanu Cupid managed to toe-poke the ball away from danger.
Danger loomed in the area for Bafana Ba Style as the hosts grew in confidence. A shot that was tucked behind the Downs’ defence almost found the net, but it rolled a few inches off the target. Just before the half-hour mark, Arrows opened the scoring through a header that connected from a corner kick.
The Brazilians’ attack was nullified following their search for a leveller in the closing stages of the opening stanza. They went to the interval trailing by a goal.
Masandawana continued to search for a leveller in the second half, and it started with Arthur Sales’ headed effort as he redirected the ball to the net, but it was met by the goalkeeper’s hands.
The KwaZulu-Natal side continued applying pressure on both the attack and defence. They were still testing Williams as they looked to double their advantage. They also blocked numerous scoring opportunities in the final third.
Downs had a scoring opportunity through Tashreeq Matthews’ shot from a tight angle, but his shot was kicked away by the keeper. A free kick was later awarded to the visitors after substitute Nuno Santos was fouled. Teboho Mokoena took the setpiece, but his shot was not venomous enough, as the goalkeeper bucketed it.
In the closing stages of regulation time, Bafana Ba Style had an opportunity to level matters from a corner kick, but Mothobi Mvala’s headed effort went wide. The visitors were denied an opportunity to walk away with at least a point after not being able to find a leveller.
Williams ©, Mudau, Cupido, Khoza, Modiba, T. Mokoena, Allende, Adams, Sales, Shalulile, Matthews.
Subs: Onyango, Lunga, Mvala, Aubaas, Mkhulise, Ntsabeleng, Santos, Mothiba, B. Mokoena.
6 Comments
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Thatoh
So, Sundowns can get rid of coaches that have won Multiple cups and keep the one who has won nothing? Wow, so nothing, we can’t count the league as he inherited a well oiled machine and now cracks are showing, the seems to be a double standard when it comes to local and foreign coaches it seems
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Sbedula
We don’t have coach
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DOWNS4EVER
The coach has turned us into an ordinary team because of his favoritism and cowardliness. Like Muzi said Mokoena has been playing nonsense for the past 3 games but he keeps on playing him,his legs seems heavy on him,he can’t run and loses balls cheaply,on another he started with Aubaas and the bay played very well,come next game he was on the bench.My friend once told me that i must check the coach is always ultra defensive when we play away games,he plays for a draw on away games,he always starts with Mokoena,Adams and Allende when we play away,this combination doesn’t work when you want to win a game,it adversely impact our offensive aspect of the game and the coach been blind as he is,he ca’t see that.I doubt performance review is done after the game because no person with a sane mind can repeat something that is not working.I really think we must play Basaadien as a left back and play Modiba where Adams is playing.On a positive notes Williams did not play his style at the back,ball movement was fast,Modiba and Allende were very much effective,young Mokoena is too good and Santos looks like a real deal.I really think next game Mothiba must start so that he can prove his worth.We just lack the technical team with wisdom,under our previous coaches we would play different formation in a game,and also players will rotate many time,players like Morena would play right back,left back and end playing upfront but with this coach if you are a right back and someone is playing at that position you are either on the bench or in the stands,that is how technically and tactically bankrupt were are.We just lack astuteness and bravery on the bench.
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ayanda
@Downs4ever, I agree with a lot of things you said, and I thought I was the only one who believes there is a lot Modiba can do in an offensive position and can play better than the players playing there currently.This will also provide Bassadien an opportunity to play as a left back and do what he used to do at stellies.Aubaas like Allende is always very active on the field ,fights for every ball and space ,however he is better than allende anyday and I think his combination with Tebza at Bafana is second to none, yet at sundowns he is kept on the bench just to play Allende.The team is currently shapeless, directionless,lacks a clear football phylosophy and poor techtical awareness and aplication the field.They pass the ball without purpose shame, we have become an ordinary team indeed.I am humbled by coach Manqoba’s postmatch interview after beating us, keep up the good work coach and I hope oneday you come back to finish what you started with coach Pitso, in football such things are possible.
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Mfana
Cardoso is a Sundowns coach only bcoz he’s a European,we r being insulted by Tlhopie Motsepe and his stooges like Fleming Berg,Moloto&Ntombela.I mean it doesn’t take a rocket scientist 2 c that Allende,Mokoena,Adams,Mathews and Sales offer nothing at Sundowns.Five players that r supposed 2 b the backbone of the team became so useless and u wonder how does Cardoso expects Sundowns to win a game let alone score a goal.I hate everything abt my team now,I don’t know why Sundowns management decides 2 put a blind eye to everything happening at Sundowns.
Muzi Kunene
Nice wake up call hope in our next game our coach will stop the combination of Mokoena,Allende and Adams because it doesn’t yield results lately and Mokoena looks tired.
Sales and Mathew’s must start from the bench and start with Santos and Tsiki even though the latter was rushed to play whereas he came on Monday afternoon but he’s not bad.
Guys I do have a problem with that young guy Khoza and most teams will punish us heavily playing that boy,we signed a lotvof middlefielders and forget about the defence now the window is closed there’s nothing we can do.
Lastly happy for that boy from CTC for refusing to come to us in the eleven hour maybe what’s bored him is bought and loaned back as we did to Ndamane of Galaxy the only left centre back we wanted.