Mamelodi Sundowns kicked off their pursuit of an eighth consecutive South African Premiership title in style, securing a 2-0 victory over Pretoria rivals SuperSport United on Tuesday night.
The match, held at Loftus Versfeld, saw the defending champions score twice in a three-minute blitz, giving them the perfect start to the 2024-2025 season.
New signing Iqraam Rayners opened the scoring in the 62nd minute, marking his debut for Sundowns with a crucial goal. Moments later, Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro added a second, doubling the lead and leaving SuperSport United scrambling to recover.
Despite the victory, Sundowns were given a scare late in the match when SuperSport had a chance to pull one back. However, goalkeeper Ronwen Williams produced a brilliant save to deny Gape Moralo with 13 minutes left on the clock, ensuring a clean sheet for the home side.
While Sundowns’ coach, Manqoba Mngqithi, celebrated the win, he remained critical of his team’s overall performance.
Mngqithi, who has taken charge following Rulani Mokwena’s move to Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca, made a bold statement by dropping two South African internationals — defender Khuliso Mudau and midfielder Teboho Mokoena — from the squad.
Mokoena, a standout at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, where he played a key role in South Africa’s shock win over Morocco, was reportedly benched due to attitude concerns.
Despite these adjustments, Sundowns looked strong in their season opener, with the victory solidifying their status as the team to beat. As they begin their quest for yet another Premiership title, Mngqithi and his squad will be looking to build on this early momentum.
