Shalulile and Ribeiro shine. Player ratings for Mamelodi Sundowns in the match against FAR Rabat
Mamelodi Sundowns needed at least a draw. A defeat could have meant missing out on the playoff zone if Raja Casablanca had won their parallel match.
At first, Sundowns decided not to hold back and simply crushed their opponents. In the first half, FAR Rabat only managed one shot on goal and touched the ball in the South African penalty area just three times. Meanwhile, the South Africans had eight shots and touched the ball twelve times. The second half started actively as well, but then… perhaps Miguel Cardoso decided to play it safe and instructed his team to sit back in defense after the 60th minute. A mistake, as the Moroccans pressed the hosts and deservedly created a goal. However, a draw was still enough for Mamelodi Sundowns.
Raja Casablanca, who also posed a threat to the South Africans, by the way, won their match as well. But to no avail.
Best players of the match for Mamelodi Sundowns:
Lucas Ribeiro Costa
The best player of the match, showing exceptional play in all areas of the field. He won 10 of 13 duels, made 4 beautiful tackles, and delivered 4 dangerous passes into the penalty area. The key moment was the goal, which was entirely his work: Lucas won a free kick by cleverly drawing a foul and executed the delivery masterfully, which was then converted by Shalulile.
Peter Shalulile
Peter Shalulile played a key role in the team’s attacking efforts, confidently finishing a goal-scoring opportunity set up by Ribeiro Costa. After all, a goal is not only the result of a great cross but also the calm finish by Peter, which deserves praise.
Peter was the most active player in the opponent's penalty area, positioning himself well and taking all of his shots (3 in total) accurately from the center of the penalty box. He knows how to find space for a shot.
Tebogo Mokoena
In the first half, when Bafana completely controlled the game, they used a rather interesting tactic: why bother trying to pass through all of the opponent's defensive lines when you can simply make a long pass from midfield straight to the opponent’s penalty area? Tebogo excelled in this tactic, slicing through the entire field and the Moroccan team with his passes.
Player ratings for Mamelodi Sundowns in the match:
- Alende M. - 7
- Kekana G. - 6
- Lunga D. - 7
- Maema N. - 6
- Matthews T. - 6
- Mkhulise S. - 6
- Mokoena T. - 8
- Morena T. - 7
- Ryners I. - 6
- Ribeiro Costa L. - 8
- Sales A. - (played too little)
- Williams R. - 6
- Khoza M. P. - 7
- Shalulile P. - 7
Luis Torres
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