Sundowns a point from title after taking Stellies apart

Mamelodi Sundowns are a point from clinching the 2024-25 Premier Soccer League title and their monumental eighth consecutive championship after dismantling Stellenbosch FC 3-0 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday.

Second-placed Orlando Pirates have 52 points with five games left. If they won all of those they would go to 67 points.

Downs went to 67 with Sunday’s clinical victory. Miguel Cardoso’s side will be crowned champions if Pirates drop points against Lamontville Golden Arrows at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday or the Brazilians pick up a point against Chippa United at Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Wednesday (both 7.30pm).

Sundowns were in a hurry to put what is usually a far more strenuous contest to bed, sprinting out of the gate with goals from Lucas Ribeiro in the sixth minute, Iqraam Rayners in the 13th and Arthur Sales in the 18th.

Considering Stellenbosch have been consistently one of the closest sides to Downs over the past three seasons, it says something that the Brazilians could blow them away with three strikes inside the opening 20min.

Steve Barker’s tough Cape side were Caf Confederation Cup semifinalists this campaign and have been in good form in the Premiership, having won their last three league games to be in fourth place.

Stellenbosch seemed rattled by Sundowns’ dynamic movement in attack — and particularly the irresistible attacking duo of Ribeiro and Rayners, with Sales’ runs also always intelligent — and committed costly errors.

The first goal came quickly after referee Eugene Mdluli’s whistle for the start.

Centre-back Ismaël Touré’s back-pass was poorly directed and seemed to wrong-foot goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke, running on to the left upright. The keeper desperately collected inches in front of his line, conceding the indirect free-kick. It was tapped to Ribeiro to blast through an onrushing wall into the top of the net.

The Rayners-Ribeiro combination saw the Brazilian played free on the left to see a shot blocked in front of the line.

Then Stellies left-back Enyinnaya Kazie-Godswill produced a stray pass deep into his half to Rayners on the left of the area to feed Ribeiro in the middle, take the one-two on a darting run into the box and slot past Masuluke.

Ribeiro’s header to a bouncing ball on the edge of the area five minutes later was into the path of fellow Brazilian Sales to the right of him, whose volley took a deflection past Stellies’ keeper.

Stellenbosch only regrouped once Downs slowed to consolidate, the visitors producing some half-chances before the break but nothing too troubling for their hosts.

Sundowns, aware they have matches to come, including the two-legged Champions League final against Pyramids, saw no reason to hare after every opportunity in a second half in which they paced themselves, shutting out the 3-0 result.