Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club annihilated Kaizer Chiefs FC 4-0 and kicked them out in the Carling Knockout Cup quarterfinals at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday.
Sunday | November 3, 2024
Staged at the magnificent FNB Stadium, it was all systems go for the second round of the Carling Cup in the quarterfinals between the Premier Soccer League heavy weights.
Indeed, the victors would progress to the semifinals while the losers bow out of the tournament.
The atmosphere in the sold-out stadium was as anticipated in the southern suburbs of Johannesburg.
Both teams sized each up in the open few minutes trying to suss one another and settle in the epic draw.
It was not long before the Chiefs defenders bungled Costa Ribeiro in the box and caused a spotkick. Sundowns entrusted Iqraam Rayners with the responsibility of this task and he duly obliged with a penalty conversion in the 14th minutes from kick off.
Amakhosi (Chiefs) were a goal down and the Brazilians (Sundowns) invited for more exchanges by drawing first blood.
But Rayners struck again eight (8) minutes later to give Sundowns a 2-0 lead. Amakhosi were in serious trouble as the fame was slowly slipping away.
While the fans were expecting a comeback from Chiefs, Peter Shalulile increased the tally to 3-0 in the 40th minute. Teams broke for a 15-minute break with the Brazilians with the upper hand.
In the second half, Chiefs had nothing to lose. They had to fudge forward and pull out all the stops to claw back to the game.Their intensity was more pronounced when Inácio Miguel Ferreira Dos Santos got booked for an offence in the 51st minute. Sadly, he received a second yellow card and was ultimately sent off.
Sundowns scored their 4th in the 61st minute by Khuliso Mudau. At 4-0 and a man down, it was all apparently that Kaizer Chiefs were facing the exit door.
As the Carling Knockout Cup drew to a close, some supporters filed out of the stadium in droves.
Thus, the game ended without a consolation goal from Chiefs. Sundowns’ resounding victory guarantees them the semifinal spot in this edition of the competition.
Saturday, Nov. 2 Carling Knockout Cup Results:
Richards Bay FC (5) 0-0 (4) Cape Town City FC
Sunday, Nov. 3 Carling Knockout Cup Fixtures:
Marumo Gallants FC vs Stellenbosch FC at Dr Molemela Stadium (Bloemfontein) – 15h00TS Galaxy FC vs Magesi FC at Mbombela Stadium (Nelspruit) – 15h00