Carling Black Label Cup: Mamelodi Sundowns Easily Smashes AmaZulu to Book a Place in the Final

• Mamelodi Sundowns effortlessly booked their place in the final of the Carling Black Label Cup
• The Brazilians overwhelmed AmaZulu 3-0 in the first semi-final of the competition at Soccer City
• Sundowns face the winner of the encounter between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, while AmaZulu go into the 3rd/4th place play-off against the loser

Mamelodi Sundowns demolished AmaZulu 3-0 in the first semi-final of the 2022 Carling Black Label Cup at Soccer City on Saturday.

In a match where the Brazilians controlled completely, Cassius Mailula opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

His goal-bound strike from a corner cruelly deflected off Makhehleni Makhaula, leaving goalkeeper Veli Mothwa comically stranded in trying to deal with the looping ball.

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Football

The Brazilians more or less walked the ball into the net in the 69th minute to seal the match.

A defence-splitting, offside trap-springing pass from Bradley Ralani put Gaston Sirino through on goal, before he unselfishly squared the ball to Haashim Domingo for the easiest of tap-ins.

Ralani then deliciously underlined Sundowns' dominance over Usuthu with a curling shot in the 73rd minute, past a hapless Mothwa.

Sundowns vs AmaZulu: the teams

Mamelodi Sundowns

1. Ronwen Williams 2. Thapelo Morena 3. Rushine De Reuck 4. Gift Motupa 5. Grant Kekana 6. Themba Zwane 7. Aubrey Modiba 8. Andile Jali 9. Bongani Zungu 10. Cassius Mailula 11. Gaston Sirino

AmaZulu

1. Veli Mothwa 2. Veluyeke Zulu 3. Ethan Brooks 4. Thembela Sikhakhane 5. Abbubaker Mobara 6. Msindisi Ndlovu 7. Keagan Buchanan 8. Riaan Hanamub 9. Makhehleni Makhaula 10. Gabadinho Mhango 11. Lehlohonolo Majoro

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Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams had a sense of deja vu, as he watched Orlando Pirates midfielder Monnapule Saleng catch out AmaZulu goalie Veli Mothwa in the MTN8 final last weekend.

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Sports Brief reported that the only difference between that free kick in Durban and the one in Soweto was that the latter did not go in. Beyond that, everything was a carbon copy of the other.

Williams, Bafana Bafana's number one, said to Sports Brief in a Carling Black Label Cup press conference in Midrand:

"Obviously he is a top player. He scored a top goal. He has been exceptional in the last month or so. It's for me as a goalkeeper to learn from that. I ask myself if I was lucky... It can happen to me next time."