Mamelodi Sundowns held by 10-man Orlando Pirates at Loftus

Though Mamelodi Sundowns could not complete a second successive league double over Orlando Pirates they will be happy to have maintained their unbeaten run this season and stretched their lead to a nine-point lead in the DStv Premiership. 

Sundowns played to a 1-1 draw with a 10-man Pirates at Loftus Stadium in a game that was open for either side to snatch in the last 20 minutes. 

Pirates midfielder Miguel Timm put his side under immense pressure by getting a red card after committing a silly foul in the 54th minute.

Timm earned his first yellow after rough-fouling former Pirates teammate Thembinkosi Lorch in the eighth minute.

He gave referee Thando Ndzandzeka no option but to book him again after blocking Sundowns' goalkeeper Ronwen Williams from distributing the ball after a 53rd-minute corner.

Rulani Mokwena, who is yet to be beaten in 35 league matches since he took over as Sundowns head coach in October 2022, introduced another debutant, new signing Matias Esquivel for Lorch just after the hour mark.

The Argentinian had some good touches on the ball and took one good shot at goal, before Chilean teammate Marcelo Allende opened the scoring for the Brazilians with a piledriver from just outside the area in the 73rd minute. 

Sundowns’ lead, however, lasted for only four minutes as defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil was adjudged to have fouled Tapelo Xoki, the same player who beat Williams from the spot in the 80th.

The first 45 minutes were cagey, but Pirates were the better team in shots on goal with two from Bafana Bafana striker Evidence Makgopa and one from Xoki. None of those was good enough to trouble Williams. 

The big talking point, though, was Mokwena’s decision to start the match with Lorch, who left Pirates for Sundowns in a shock move in January.

It was Lorch who produced one of the better shots that Sundowns had in the first half. 

Bucs did well to not give Downs space to launch their build-ups from the back.

Makgopa, Monnapule Saleng and Patrick Maswanganyi did well in pressing Sundowns from the top. This resulted in Brazilians strikers Peter Shalulile and Lucas Riberio not getting the usual supply from Thapelo Morena, Sphelele Mkhulise and Allende, Sundowns' midfielders who had to outplay Pirates’ Timm and Makhehlene Makhaula to feed their strikers. 

Overall, Downs did not have a good game as the final stats showed they only had one shot — Allende’s goal — on target in the seven chances they created while Pirates came close on five occasions with the nine shots they had.

Sundowns could afford to settle for the point in only their third draw in 15 league matches. For Pirates, the stalemate does not help their cause as they remain in fifth place with 26 points after 17 matches — two more games than Sundowns who have a whopping 13-point lead over them.