By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Mamelodi Sundowns secured a convincing 3-0 victory struggling Siwelele FC at Loftus Versveld stadium in Tshwane on Wednesday evening.
Sundowns dominated the rest of the first half but were left frustrated by an inability to break down Siwelele.
With neither side able to find the breakthrough, the teams headed into the interval level at 0-0.
Sundowns were finally rewarded in the 58th minute when Teboho Mokoena’s long-range strike was tipped onto the crossbar by Joseph Mthombeni, and Kutlwano Letlhaku had the easiest of tasks to turn home the rebound for a 1-0 lead.
The hosts searched for a second goal to make sure of the three points and in the 79th minute they found it after Aphiwe Baliti played a poor back-pass toward Mthombeni which allowed substitute Siyanda Ndlovu to stab home his second goal in as many matches.
And another substitute, Tashreeq Matthews, added a third in injury time when he capitalised on another defensive error from Siwelele, chipping Mthombeni to wrap up the scoring.
The teams will return to Premiership action this coming weekend, with Sundowns away to Chippa United on Saturday 12 September, and Siwelele at home to Golden Arrows the following day.
Meanwhile Sundowns have completed the signing of Thabo Cele following his departure from Kaizer Chiefs.
In a statement, the club said that the decision “will allow Cele to pursue new opportunities while Amakhosi continue to reshape their squad for the 2026/27 season”.
“Kaizer Chiefs have terminated Thabo Cele’s contract by mutual agreement, following constructive discussions between both parties. The decision will allow Cele to pursue new opportunities while Amakhosi continue to reshape their squad for the 2026/27 season,” read the club statement.
During his 18 months with Chiefs, he made a total of 36 appearances in domestic and CAF competitions. He also lifted the Nedbank Cup with the Club, four months after his arrival.