Shalulile scores twice as champions Sundowns put four past hapless, winless Gallants

Unbeaten Mamelodi Sundowns moved five points clear at the top of the DStv Premiership table with a clinical 4-0 mauling of winless Marumo Gallants in Polokwane on Sunday evening.

A classy first half goal from playmaker Themba Zwane and two late strikes from red-hot Namibian striker Peter Shalulile and another from Slovakian forward Pavol Safranko sealed maximum points at the Peter Mokaba Stadium to see Sundowns extend their unbeaten start to the Premiership season to nine matches.

Zwane put Sundowns ahead in the 24th minute with a stunning curling effort from the edge of the box following a great team move.

While Gallants created chances of their own to bridge the visitors’ rearguard in the second half, Shalulile doubled the lead for Sundowns in the 78th minute and Safranko put the result beyond doubt with an easy tap in the 88th minute.

Shalulile completed the rout on the stroke of full time, smashing his eighth goal in seven Premiership appearances and his second brace this season.

The win, which sees them stretch their lead over second-placed Stellenbosch by five points with a match in hand, is also the Premiership record of a 12th straight clean stretching back from last season.

Sundowns won in spectacular fashion and they continue to send out strong messages that they are determined to defend their league title and win a record-breaking fifth Premiership title in a row.

For Gallants, their problems deepened as they remained bottom of the table with just four points from eight matches and are yet to win a match.

But the floundering Limpopo club will be comforted by the fact that the teams that are immediately above them are within a touching distance in terms of points.

Gallants will have an opportunity to move off the foot of the table when they travel to Atteridgeville to face third-placed SuperSport United after the Fifa international break on November 20 while Sundowns will also be on the road away to Cape Town City on the same day.

The match was the last round of Premiership action before players assemble for the national team for Bafana Bafana’s crucial final two qualifiers for the 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup against Zimbabwe at home and Ghana away this week.

Namibian coach Bobby Samaria will be happy to receive Shalulile at the back of his two goals while teammate defender Rushine De Reuck will report for the Bafana camp at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto on Monday.

In the other Premiership matches on Sunday, rookies Sekhukhune United beat Swallows 1-0 in Soweto to move in to the top five with 17 points from 10 matches and left Brandon Truter’s side mired in the relegation zone while a 10-man Royal AM came from behind to draw 1-1 at home against Baroka to remain fourth on 18 points from 10 matches.

Gavin Hunt continues to live on borrowed time at Chippa United coach after his team was held to yet another draw, a goalless stalemate at home against Maritzburg United.

AmaZulu got their season back on track with a 2-0 home win over Cape Town City.