Mamelodi Sundowns (1) 4
Ribeiro 44-pen; Shalulile 65, 80; Mokoena 85’
Golden Arrows 0
Peter Shalulile came off the bench to win a penalty and score a brace to help Mamelodi Sundowns hammer Golden Arrows at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday night.
The Brazilians stretched their league winning streak to eight games and also went six points clear of chasing Orlando Pirates in the Betway Premiership standings, having played a game less. Following a stuttering start to the match, Sundowns opened the scoring courtesy of a penalty won by first half substitute Shalulile.
A dominant victory and a clean sheet! Our focus shifts to Wednesday! 💪
Mamelodi Sundowns (44’ Ribeiro, 65’, 80’ Shalulile, 85’ Mokoena) 4️⃣➖0️⃣ Golden Arrows#Sundowns #BetwayPrem #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/jydOFrnsGC
Lucas Ribeiro was handed the responsibility and he made no mistake as he slid the ball into the bottom right corner of Ismail Watenga’s goal. It was only in the second half that the hosts got a two goal cushion as Shalulile validated his early introduction by scoring acrobatically in the 65th minute.
The Namibian international was not done there as he was all but the result with a second strike in the 80th minute benefitting off smart play by Ribeiro who set him up for a tap-in.
Tebogo Mokoena got in on the action as well as a deflected late strike saw him add a fourth. A seven game league winning streak was on the line for the defending champions as they welcomed one of their favourite opponents in Arrows.
The Chloorkop based side had never lost to the Arrows in the last seven years and had thumped them by five goals the last time these two met.
Sha Sha Shalulile 😍![CDATA[]]>😍![CDATA[]]>😍#Sundowns #BetwayPrem #Rabatsenagape pic.twitter.com/fTmcYsosyu
— Mavinola (@mavinola) February 2, 2025
On the visiting end, the prospect of upsetting the champions must’ve been enough to motivate them to start the game positively, as they created the first chance of the game inside two minutes.
Winger and club captain Nduduzo Sibiya was unsurprisingly at the heart of that momentum, as he combined effectively before firing straight at Ronwen Williams from a tight angle, and early warning signs for the hosts.
With a clash against Pirates coming up next weekend, this clash became very vital for the Sundowns, whose lead at the top was cut down to three points after the Buccaneers claimed a Soweto Derby victory against Kaizer Chiefs.
Having created little to nothing in the opening half an hour, Cardoso had seen enough as he threw on Peter Shalulile in the 35th minute for midfielder Sphelele Mkhulise. Despite Sundowns taking the half-time lead, Arrows might have still felt the game was there for them to snatch something in the second stanza.
The introduction of the experienced Knox Mutizwa up-front for defender Sbonelo Cele signalled forward intent in the 61st minute. However, Sundowns just turned on the style and powered their way to victory.
Sundowns will re-energise and refocus with a Tshwane Derby against SuperSport United next on their agenda on Wednesday. For eight placed Abafana Besthende the visit Cape Town City is next on their schedule on Wednesday as well.