Mamelodi Sundowns’ new record R51-million signing Marcelo Allende paid back the first of his instalments to the DStv Premiership champions with a goal on debut in the 3-0 thrashing of Stellenbosch FC on Wednesday evening.
After being introduced into the fray in the second half, the Chilean international needed just seven minutes to leave his first imprint on the South African game with a neatly-taken goal.
Allende’s effort was the icing on the cake as normal service resumed at Fortress Loftus Versfeld.
The blue-and-yellow steam train has stuttered on occasion this season, but they were in an unforgiving mood last night. Perhaps the Brazilians felt they still owed the ambitious club from the Western Cape after last season’s shock defeat at home to Stellies, but they certainly came roaring out of the starting blocks.
Within 90 seconds Sundowns were on the scoreboard, courtesy of Neo Maema’s strike that certainly unsettled the young Stellenbosch side.
Stellies coach Steve Barker would have pressed home the fact that his team needed to start well, and not to give Sundowns’ free-roaming midfielders the space to maraud into the box, but that’s exactly what transpired in Maeema’s opener.
With the visitors shell-shocked, Sundowns took a firm grip on the early proceedings and carved out numerous opportunities as they made 30 final third entries in comparison to Stellies’ 18, with 10 shots on Sage Stephens’ goal in the first half.
Teboho Mokoena almost doubled Sundowns’ lead when the industrious midfielder shaved the crossbar with a drive from outside the penalty area just after the half hour mark.
Stellies, though, pride themselves as a team that hits back on the transition and carved out a couple of opportunities with wing-back Fawaaz Basardien forcing a good save from Bafana Bafana and Sundowns No 1 Ronwen Williams and Jayden Adams’ header hitting the left upright.
Adams’ chance was certainly contentious with the ball ricocheting off the post and on to the arm of a Sundowns’ defender, but the calls for a penalty fell on deaf ears.
It was a critical moment in the game because before Stellenbosch could get over their misfortune at one end of the pitch, the Premiership’s ace marksman Peter Shalulile was on target at the other and already doubling Sundowns’ lead.
Sundowns’ supreme game-management came to the fore in the second half with Stellies gaining more possession and territory as they pushed to half the deficit.
And instead of the visitors finding a way back into the game, it was Sundowns that stamped their dominance on proceedings with Allende drilling the final nail in the coffin, which the Masandawana faithful will hope is the first of many to come.
IOL Sport