Mamelodi Sundowns may not yet be operating at full capacity, but their attacking firepower is already proving difficult to contain. A 5-2 victory over AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld maintained their unbeaten start to the Premiership, while also exposing defensive weaknesses that Miguel Cardoso will be keen to address.
The result lifted Sundowns to 10 points, level with Orlando Pirates at the top of the table, but the manner of the victory suggested there is still work to do before they can claim to be the finished article.
Cassius Mailula, making his first start since returning to the club, was particularly influential. His movement between the lines caused AmaZulu persistent problems and helped create the opener, with Brayan León eventually applying the finish after Mailula’s effort took a deflection.
Teboho Mokoena then marked his return from injury with a spectacular free-kick into the top corner, giving Sundowns a 2-0 half-time advantage.
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Arthur Zwane responded by making changes, and AmaZulu were rewarded when a low Riaan Hanamub cross led to an untidy clearance that ricocheted off Thulani Ngwenya and into the net.
Any prospect of a comeback was quickly extinguished. Tashreeq Matthews followed up after Faveur Kouassi had saved a Sundowns effort, restoring the two-goal cushion.
Matthews then struck the post before setting up León for his second of the night and third league goal of the season.
Yet Sundowns’ defensive problems persisted. Ronwen Williams was caught out by a miskick that allowed Ngwenya to score from an awkward angle and reduce the deficit again.
With AmaZulu forced to commit players forward, gaps eventually appeared and Sundowns exploited them. Substitute Bennet Mokoena completed the scoring to underline the gulf between the sides.
The five goals will please Cardoso, but Sunday’s MTN8 semi-final against Golden Arrows presents a different challenge. Sundowns must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit, and defensive improvement will be just as important as their attacking efficiency.