Mamelodi Sundowns claims commanding 3-0 victory over Al Merrikh in final group game
Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a commanding 3-0 victory in their final CAF Champions League group stage match against Al-Merrikh on Saturday.
George Maluleka got a rare start for Sundowns, while Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba and Bradley Ralani were also given some gametime from the start.
It was a positive start from Sundowns. In the fourth minute, Aubrey Modiba’s cross reached Bradley Ralani at the far post but the defender intervened before the attacker could shoot.
Ralani was in the thick of things as seven minutes later his dinked effort beat the Al Merreikh goalkeeper but crashed off the post.
The Brazilians were rewarded for their dominance when they took the lead with a quarter of an hour gone when George Maluleka scored his first goal for the club after heading home from Modiba’s corner.
That goal was a confidence-booster for Maluleka as he had a go with a free-kick attempt from the right and it went just over the crossbar.
The tempo of the game calmed down after a high-paced start to the second half but it was still Sundowns keeping Al-Merrikh camped in their own half.
The Brazilians doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Haashim Domingo released Ralani and he showed composure to finish into the bottom right corner.
Ralani was having a stormer and turned provider in the 72nd minute when he teed up Kermit Erasmus, who rifled a fantastic volley into the roof of the net.
Lebohang Maboe almost made it four when he curled a fine free-kick over the wall and it went just wide of the left post.
Goalkeeper Reyaad Pieterse was called into a rare bit of action in the closing stages when he made a good save to deny Elsamani Saadeldin in the bottom left corner to keep the clean sheet intact.
