Sundowns stretched to the limit to edge Stellenbosch in Nedbank thriller

Mamelodi Sundowns had to exercise all their considerable player muscle and tactical quality to edge out tough-as-nails Stellenbosch FC 3-2 in extra time of their Nedbank Cup last-32 matchup at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday evening.

Normal time ended 2-2. Ashley du Preez put Stellies ahead softly in the 12th minute to set the ball rolling on a thrillingly competitive encounter, Peter Shalulile hitting back for Downs almost immediately in the 16th.

After a protracted period of pleasing and effective inter-passing opened a number of second-half chances for Downs, Gaston Sirino finally appeared to have hit their winner in the first minute of added time.

Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker had his team laid out to sit deep and perform a smash and grab. Downs were still celebrating and paid for a casual approach at the back as two minutes later Stellies substitute Phathutshedzo Nange levelled to 2-2 to send the match into extra time.

Sundowns struck the woodwork twice and their telepathic inter-passing deserved more in normal, and then also extra, time. Ultimately, they also failed to bury those opportunities, and Barker’s nuggety Stellenbosch rode their luck.

Finally, in the 117th minute, Shalulile struck his second and Downs’ winner.

Sundowns would have been bemused to go to the break at 1-1, creating chances, hitting the post, and conceding a soft opener.

Lyle Lakay’s stray pass deep in his half to the feet of Du Preez allowed the sprightly 23-year-old to run between the centrebacks unchallenged and finish low past Ricardo Goss.

Downs hit straight back, right-back Lebohang Maboe’s chip from the halfway line setting free the excellently-timed run to beat offside of Shalulile. The Namibian lobbed past Stephens then rolled a finish into an open goal.

Lakay’s free kick in first-half added time was palmed by Stephens on to the upright.

In a marvellous movement in the 72nd Sirino touched Lakay through on the left, who fed inside to Themba Zwane, received the return pass, and touched Zwane through. The Bafana Bafana international fed inside again, but, Shalulile, with just Stephens to beat, found the outstretched leg of the keeper.

Downs’ mesmeric passing deserved a goal. It came when Andile Jali’s chip in was half-cleared to Kermit Erasmus, who fed fellow substitute Lesedi Kapinga, who teed up Sirino in the D, the Uruguayan slipping a low strike past Stephens.

That should have been game over. Crazily, with their third real chance of the game, Stellenbosch’s Argentinian forward Junior Mendieta received a clearance on the right, beat Jali through his legs and teed up fellow substitute Nange to finish past Goss.

In extra time Maboe danced through a series of challenges and set up Shalulile, who struck the upright.

A game headed for penalties had a plot twist left before that. In the 27th minute of extra time Downs scored from another appropriately efficient passing display, Sirino on the left finding Zwane outside the box to thread through to Shalulile, who struck an emphatic winner past Stephens.

There might even have been another twist, Goss at full stretch to deny Nathan Sinkala’s header 40 seconds into another added time.