Reigning Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies redeemed themselves when they bounced back from a devastating defeat to UWC a week earlier.
They returned to winning ways when they beat neighbours Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) 5-1 in a dominant display at Sturrock Park Stadium on Sunday (22 May 2022).
Banyana Ba Style were still smarting from a 2-0 loss to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) – their first loss in four years.
“I think the defeat to UWC was a great wake-up for you. Maybe at some point it had crept in that we are invincible, but it helped us a lot to be on top of our game today looking at the performance of our if our girls, and if they had put in the same shift like this last week it would be a different story. But I am glad it happened (the loss) and it also happened as early as a possible. It has certainly helped us to wake up and realize that are beatable. All the teams want to beat us and we will definitely work our way back to the top where I believe we belong,” said Sundowns Ladies head coach Jerry Tshabalala.
Banyana Ba Style made it look easy against TUT as they continued their dominance in the Tshwane Derby.
The African champions completed a double as they won in the first and second round. But it was important for them to return to winning ways as they aim to return to the top of the table, a position now occupied by JVW who have not lost this season with five victories and a draw.
Sundowns are in second place with 15 points – just one adrift of the log leaders.
A 3-0 lead in the first half with goals from Lerato Kgasago, Rhoda Mulaudzi and Karabo Dhlamini, and set the Brazilians on their way to victory, before former TUT captain Salome Kekana and Nhlanhla Mthandi sealed the victory with two further strikes in the second half.
“I’m excited in terms of how we redeemed ourselves, it wasn’t an easy encounter for us. We needed we needed to show that we are the African champs. I am happy with the performance of the girls and how we applied ourselves. What we saw from our previous game (vs UWC) is that our counter pressing was very slow, so we knew that TUT would want to catch us on a counterattack,” added Tshabalala.
“They (TUT) were playing transition football, they waited for us to come at them, and when we did, they would want to play the ball behind us, but like I said to my players we needed to press them very high and it really it really worked wonders for us. At some point we allowed them to start the play from the back immediately they try that, that’s when we pounce and try to steal the ball as you saw with one of the goals we scored.”
Sundowns next travel to the Gelvandale Stadium in Qgeberha to face Thunderbirds Ladies.
The match will be played on Saturday, 28 April at 15h00.
By Matlhomola Morake
