Sundowns make it seven from seven with Pirates scalp

Sundowns took the lead with ten minutes gone. Sipho Mbule did great work to win the ball near the right touchline. He released Lucas Ribeiro, who found Themba Zwane in the box. Siphelo Baloni came across to make he challenge and caught the trailing foot of the Sundowns midfielder. Ribeiro stepped forward and rifled his penalty into the right hand corner past Sipho Chaine's despairing dive.

With 25 minutes gone Sundowns switched off for a moment as Rivaldo Coetzee was caught on the ball by Baloni on the edge of his own box. It nearly fell for the Pirates man but Ronwen Williams was out of his goal in a flash and cleared the ball with a sliding tackle.

In the 36th minute Chaine's poor kick in the Pirates goal handed the ball to Marcel Allende. He foundZwane and the captain slipped a pass for Ribeiro in the box. The Brazilian declined to shoot on his weaker right foot and Baloni could get back to make the challenge in the area.

On the stroke of half-time Zwane turned his man and drove into the box before working himself space to shoot and curl an effort that was saved by the keeper.

Pirates forced Williams into a rare save in the 57th minute. Patrick Maswanganyi delivered the corner from the left, it found Thabang Monare totally unmarked but he could only head the ball into the ground and Williams was not extended by that effort.

Hotto then swung a cross from the right for Pirates but Monnapule Saleng could only head wide. He was stretching and the ball was slightly behind him.

In the end, that solitary strike from Ribeiro would be enough to separate the two sides and see Sundowns win their seventh league match from seven games so far this season.

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