Mamelodi Sundowns strengthened their early Betway Premiership title challenge with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Milford FC at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Wednesday night.
The win, Sundowns’ fourth in their opening five league matches, moved the Brazilians onto 13 points and kept them level with defending champions Orlando Pirates at the top of the table, with goal difference separating the two giants.
Sundowns went into the encounter knowing that nothing less than victory would be enough to keep pace with Pirates, who had earlier strengthened their position at the summit with a convincing 4-0 victory over Kruger United.
The home side had to be patient before finally breaking Milford’s resistance in first-half stoppage time.
Iqraam Rayners opened the scoring in the second minutes of the referee’s added time of the first half, giving Sundowns a 1-0 advantage going into the interval.
Milford, who have made a promising start to their first Betway Premiership campaign, tried to remain compact and frustrate the hosts, but Sundowns gradually began to take control of the contest.
The Brazilians continued to press after the break as they searched for a second goal that would give them breathing space.
Their persistence eventually paid off when Antonio van Wyk found the back of the net in the 76th minutes, putting Sundowns 2-0 ahead.
The second goal effectively ended Milford’s hopes of earning anything from the encounter as Sundowns managed the remainder of the match with greater composure.
For Milford, the defeat was a setback after an encouraging opening to their Premiership campaign. They had collected seven points from their first four matches before travelling to Pretoria, including victories over Siwelele and Kruger United and a goalless draw against Polokwane City.
Sundowns, meanwhile, continued their impressive league run. The Brazilians had previously beaten TS Galaxy 3-2 and Marumo Gallants 2-0, while also drawing 1-1 with Kaizer Chiefs.
The victory leaves theq Pretoria giants on 13 points from five matches, level with Orlando Pirates, setting up an intriguing early-season battle between the two heavyweights.
With the title race already beginning to take shape, Sundowns have made it clear that they intend to remain firmly in the hunt as they look to challenge Pirates and maintain their dominance in South African football.
