Golden Arrows take advantage into Sundowns semi-final second leg

Golden Arrows will carry a 1-0 advantage into the second leg of their MTN8 semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns after a disciplined away victory at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium.

Head coach Pitso Dladla believes his side must combine greater aggression with a stronger desire to score if they are to complete the job and eliminate the reigning champions of Africa from the competition.

Junior Dion scored the only goal of the match in the first half, giving Golden Arrows a narrow lead to defend. The visitors then resisted sustained pressure from Sundowns, displaying the defensive organisation and structure that helped them defeat Kaizer Chiefs in the quarter-final at FNB Stadium.

Dladla acknowledged that Golden Arrows had to endure difficult periods during the match, but felt they also created opportunities to extend their lead on the counter-attack.

“We knew there would be moments where we’d suffer, we had many counter attacks that we could have scored,” he said.

The result gives Golden Arrows an away-goal advantage before the return fixture, although Dladla knows there is still considerable work to do before his team can claim a place in the final.

“It was scary, the game forced us back a lot, but we managed to survived. Remember the nature of the tournament, the semis has two legs.

“We have an away goal advantage, but we need to be more aggressive, score first or score, we will get a big chance to win [and go to the final].”

The second leg will be played at King Zwelithini Stadium next weekend, with Golden Arrows now in a strong position to reach the final of the domestic cup competition.

However, their advantage remains slender against a Mamelodi Sundowns team that had been beaten only once in the opening encounter of the tie. Golden Arrows’ defensive resilience was decisive in the first match, but Dladla has called for a more assertive performance in the return fixture.

The Durban-based side will therefore look to reproduce the organisation that carried them past Kaizer Chiefs while showing more intent in attack. A goal in the second leg would strengthen their position, according to Dladla, whose team must prevent Sundowns from overturning the deficit at King Zwelithini Stadium.

The MTN8 semi-final is contested over two legs, with the winner advancing to the domestic cup final. Golden Arrows’ success at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium means they enter the return match with the lead and the away-goal advantage.

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