JOHANNESBURG - A powerful second-half performance gave Mamelodi Sundowns a 3-0 victory over lowly Siwelele on Wednesday and a six-point lead in the South African Premiership.
Sundowns have 19 points from seven matches. Second-placed Orlando Pirates, the defending champions, have 13 with two games in hand.
Kutlwano Letlhaku broke the deadlock after 58 minutes in Pretoria, then substitutes Siyanda Ndlovu and Tashreeq Matthews netted.
Siwelele, who fired coach Lehlohonolo Seema on Sunday after failing to win in their first five matches of the season, defied Sundowns in the opening half through a well-organised defence.
Behind the defenders, goalkeeper Wandile Mthombeni made a string of superb saves in his Premiership debut.
He was finally beaten when a Teboho Mokoena shot rebounded off the crossbar and Letlhaku reacted quickest to prod the ball into the net for his first goal of the league campaign.
Ndlovu pounced on a weak back-pass to score after 79 minutes and Matthews burst forward and chipped the ball over Mthombeni in the second minute of added time.
"Our plan was to drain the energy out of Siwelele and we succeeded. They tired in the second half and we took advantage," said Sundowns' Portuguese coach Miguel Cardoso.
- AFP