With only 10 matches remaining in South Africa’s Premier Soccer League, the title race is being hotly contested between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. Kaizer Chiefs currently holds a four-point lead at the top of the division, and Sundowns obviously can’t allow that gap to grow any larger.
Last Wednesday, Sundowns went to extreme lengths of shithousery to ensure that didn’t happen when hosting Bloemfontein Celtic at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.
Holding a 2-1 lead with eight minutes plus stoppage time still remaining, Sundowns earned a corner. Gastón Sirino originally looked like he was going to take it, but he gave it up at the last moment to Sibusiso Vilakazi. The referee rightly booked Sirino for time wasting.
However, Vilakazi then stood over the corner for an inordinate amount of time and was booked. Vilakazi then walked away from the corner, handing responsibility to captain Hlompho Kekana.
Kekana righted the ball and looked set to finally take the corner with the ref urging him on. However, Kekana then reset the ball and the ref booked him too.
Gastón Sirino — the original man on corner duty — then ran over and quickly delivered it into the box. That’s over two minutes of time wasted, three yellow cards and one great tactical blueprint for Diego Simeone to follow at Anfield on Mar. 11.
In South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns players are booked for time-wasting against Bloemfontein Celtic. pic.twitter.com/4G4aVmU7ia
— Sports News & Views (@SportAficionad0) February 24, 2020
82' Sirino, Vila and Kekana all shown yellow cards for time-wasting.#Sundowns #DownsLive #AbsaPrem
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) February 19, 2020
There was a bit of quality in the match. This was the game-winning free kick from Kekana in the 55th minute.
An absolute scorcher from Kekana, iskhokho samampela!
It gets better every time you watch it!
#Sundowns #AbsaPrem pic.twitter.com/EPcVz6nVqD— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) February 20, 2020
Maybe Sundowns should just focus on playing football.