Lyle Lakay and Richard Mbulu Score Stunners, Mamelodi Sundowns and Baroka FC Play Out to an Entertaining Draw

Lyle Lakay and Richard Mbulu Score Stunners, Mamelodi Sundowns and Baroka FC Play Out to an Entertaining Draw

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 7:56 PM
  • Lyle Lakay scored a stunning goal to give Mamelodi Sundowns the lead but Richard Mbulu levelled the game in the last minute
  • Mamelodi Sundowns are now 18 points clear of the chasing pack in the race for the DStv Premiership title
  • Mamelodi Sundowns were seconds away from winning the game before Baroka FC scored late to claim a draw

Baroka FC scored in the dying seconds of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns to steal a point against the Brazilians.

Lyle Lakay opened the scoring for Sundowns with a stunning freekick but this was cancelled out by Richard Mbulu.

Lyle Lakay, Richard Mbulu, Mamelodi Sundowns, Baroka FC, Sport, South Africa
Lyle Lakay and Richard Mbulu scored for their sides as Mamelodi Sundowns and Baroka FC played out to a draw. Image: @african_footy
Source: Twitter

In a game that Sports Brief monitored, Lakay was in exceptional form and was unlucky to have only scored one goal.

Lakay had three freekick chances, striking the post and crossbar with two of them, while he scored with the other.

Lakay also hit the crossbar with a long-range effort in the first half when the game was still goalless.

Lakay’s first freekick attempt came on the 25th minute, but despite beating the wall, the ball crashed into the post.

Baroka immediately counter-attacked and Evidence Makgopa stung the palms of Sundowns’ keeper, Denis Onyango. The ball didn’t go out of the field of play and Ntiyiso Bombi did well to get a cross into the box.

Defender, Rushine de Reuck, attempted to head the ball away but it hit his hand, giving Baroka a penalty. Mashweu Basil Mphahlele stepped up to the penalty spot and blazed his attempt over the crossbar.

Sundowns' fans got to see the team’s new signing, Erwin Saavedra, get a run in before halftime. The Bolivian was brought on to replace Paval Safranko who appeared to have suffered a hamstring injury.

Both teams headed into the break level but Sundowns changed that around in the 49th minute when Lakay banged in a freekick. The rest of the second half saw many chances for Sundowns to extend their lead. Peter Shalulile and Erwin Saavedra were caught offside a few times and Neo Maema was guilty of giving away the ball a few times.

Time continued to tick and with four mins of time added on, Sundowns were dreaming of a 20 point lead. Those hopes were crushed in the last play of the game when Richard Mbulu scored an equally stunning goal to give Baroka a draw.

Sundowns' management was not happy with the referee after the game and voiced their concerns with him all the way down the tunnel. Co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi also shared his disappointment with the referee after the game.

Mamelodi Sundowns will play amateur side Mathaithai FC, fans comment on the Nedbank Cup rround of 16 draw

Reigning DStv Premiership Champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, have been given the perfect draw in the Nedbank Cup as they will next face an amateur side, Mathaithai FC, Sports Brief earlier reported.

Sundowns were drawn to play at home against Mathaithai FC, in what was the most talked-about fixture from the round of 16 draw. The last 16 teams in the cup are made up of eight teams from the DStv Premiership, six of which have been drawn against each other in the next round, The South African reported.

Fans though have reacted on social media to Sundowns having the luck of the draw and facing an amateur side, while one fan cheekily asked why Kaizer Chiefs weren’t in the draw. Chiefs were knocked out by TS Galaxy.

Authors
Byron Pillay photo
Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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DStv PremiershipSouth Africa