Sundowns beat Gallants as Mudau injury clouds comfortable win

Mamelodi Sundowns maintained their strong form with a 2-0 Betway Premiership victory over Marumo Gallants at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, although the result was overshadowed by a serious injury to Bafana Bafana right-back Khuliso Mudau.

Cassius Mailula continued his impressive return to Sundowns by scoring his third goal in four matches, securing the points after Malibongwe Khoza had opened the scoring in the first half.

Mudau was forced off after 37 minutes with what appeared to be a severe injury, presenting a major concern for the CAF champions despite a commanding performance.

Sundowns controlled possession and territory from the opening whistle and could have won by a considerably wider margin than the 1-0 scoreline they held at half-time.

Fawaaz Basadien returned to the starting line-up after being left out of the weekend meeting with Kaizer Chiefs, and immediately showed why he remains an influential option when selected.

The left wing-back was involved in Sundowns’ first clear opportunity, forcing Marumo Gallants debutant goalkeeper Emile Lako to make a sharp save with a quick effort. Basadien then delivered a cross into the visitors’ penalty area moments later, picking out Brayan Leon, but the Colombian forward headed straight at Lako.

Gallants struggled to settle during the opening stages as Sundowns applied sustained pressure. Bathusi Aubaas, filling in for the injured Teboho Mokoena, sent a long-range effort over the crossbar before Leon tried to find the breakthrough with an ambitious bicycle kick.

The attempt would likely have gone in had it been placed either side of Lako, who was then fortunate to escape punishment after venturing outside his penalty area. Marcelo Allende dispossessed the goalkeeper, but Sundowns were unable to make the most of the opportunity.

The pressure eventually told in the 21st minute. Basadien clipped a cross towards the far post, where Aubaas headed the ball back into the danger area. Malibongwe Khoza met it with a powerful finish to put Sundowns in front.

Sundowns continued to dominate after taking the lead and created several further chances before the interval. Tashreeq Matthews came close to extending the advantage but pulled his shot wide of the far post.

The pattern remained unchanged after the restart. Mailula, making his first Betway Premiership start after scoring against Kaizer Chiefs at the weekend, was played through on goal but failed to convert.

Those missed opportunities kept alive the possibility of a Gallants counter-attack producing an equaliser. Sundowns were also denied when experienced midfielder Themba Zwane, introduced as a second-half substitute, missed a clear chance inside the visitors’ box.

Mailula eventually made amends. Showing composure in front of goal, he scored his second successive goal and third of the season to put the result beyond doubt and complete a comfortable win for Sundowns.

The victory strengthened the champions’ performance on the pitch, but the condition of Mudau will now be the main concern following an otherwise dominant evening in Pretoria.