Tough Cape Town City worthily stop Sundowns’ 100% record in its tracks

Mamelodi Sundowns' 100% record in the 2022-23 DStv Premiership has finally been stopped, and given the intensity of their performance mostly matching the Brazilians blow for blow, Cape Town City were worthy practitioners of the deed.

Fourth-placed City — who went to third from the point gained from Sunday's 0-0 draw in an often end-to-end, competitive league encounter at Cape Town Stadium that just lacked goals — always seemed the team that might end Downs' run of wins from the start of the season in their 12th fixture.

Eric Tinkler's excellently-drilled, dangerous City at times made Downs — after their 11-match run of victories where they mostly brushed sides off in third gear, but who also will be starting to feel the effects of a punishing schedule — look fallible.

Rulani Mokwena's Sundowns — playing, staggeringly, their 29th match before the break for the Africa Cup of Nations, and with two to go still against Moroka Swallows at home on Wednesday and Polokwane City away on Saturday — pushed hard and missed their chances. But City had theirs too.

It was not a 100% Sundowns in the Cape heat. But the Citizens, with a quality all-round combination, deserve credit too for showing Mokwena's trophy machines — already African Football League champions and Caf Champions League group stage battlers among their six competitions this campaign — are human. 

Both teams had their chances in the opening 45 minutes.

Terrence Mahego cracked an early shot that forced a stop from City goalkeeper Darren Keet.

Both teams' most notable opportunities of the first half came just before the break.

City midfielder Luyolo Slatsha collected an intercept in his box with his chest towards his own goal and hesitated when he should have cleared, allowing Lucas Ribeiro Costa to steal the ball. The Brazilian scooped an attempted chip of goalkeeper Darren Keet wide of the right upright. 

At the other end Darwin González's free-kick from the left found Lorenzo Gordinho free, whose header was well directed down at the goal line near the right corner, Ronwen Williams making a quality reflex, diving stop.

City were on attack from the restart, as Thabo Nodada passed González through on the right, City's Venezuelan forward's first touch a little clumsy to allow Thapelo Morena time to recover.

Downs muscled back into ascendancy. Substitute Maphosa Modiba made ground down the left and chipped to find Peter Shalulile who made space for himself and sliced a shot wide of the left post.

Modiba's corner from the right found centreback Rushine de Reuck to get up above the defence and head just over the bar.

The Brazilians had more half-chances as they piled on the pressure to try to maintain their 100% record. City admirably fended them off with sheer grit, organisation and toughness in the challenge.