Anthony Laffor helped Mamelodi Sundowns record a win over Ajax Cape Town in a thrilling Absa Premiership encounter.
|||Pretoria - A stoppage-time strike by Anthony Laffor helped Mamelodi Sundowns record a 3-2 win over Ajax Cape Town in a thrilling Absa Premiership match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Wednesday night.
The home side went into the break 2-1 up after a Teko Modise strike and an own goal by Ajax defender Cecil Lolo. Bantu Mzwakali scored for Ajax in the first half.
Ajax struck back with a Nathan Paulse penalty just after the break to make it 2-2, but Laffor would have the last say in the match. Despite the win, Sundowns fans hurtled objects towards coach Pitso Mosimane amid chanting of “Pitso must go!” as he left the field after the match.
The fixture was delayed by about five minutes after Ajax striker Prince Nxumalo suffered an epileptic seizure before kickoff.
Paulse, the hero for Ajax in their MTN8 final triumph over the weekend, took his place in the starting line-up.
Sundowns made the better start when former Urban Warriors winger Keagan Dolly came close to opening the scoring in the 13th minute.
Dolly dispossessed Ajax defender Abel Mabaso before pulling the trigger with his left foot. His shot beat Ajax goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola, but was expertly cleared off the line by defender Abbubaker Mobara.
Sundowns, though, did take the lead in the 21st minute when midfielder Modise slotted home a free kick after the Ajax wall disintegrated.
However, Ajax bounced back in the 38th minute when midfielder Mzwakali pounced on a Paulse flick-on from a throw-in.
The Cape side started to get a little bit of rhythm towards the end of the first half, and veteran winger Franklin Cale went close in the 40th minute.
However, Sundowns would go into the break 2-1 up after a freakish own goal by Lolo, who inexplicably headed the ball into his own net with no Sundowns players in his vicinity.
But Ajax would hit back shortly after the interval when Franklin Cale was brought down in the penalty area. Paulse then calmly stepped up and slotted home his second penalty in less than a week.
Former Santos defender Wayne Arendse then had a great chance to Sundowns in the 67th minute, but he could only manage to hit the post from point-blank range.
However, substitute Laffor came up with the winner for Sundowns in stoppage time after a terrible clearance by the Ajax defenders in their penalty area. - ANA
