By Kopano Dibakwane
The biggest soccer upset has unfolded at Mbombela stadium when the underdogs, TS Galaxy, secured an unexpected 1-0 victory against the formidable Mamelodi Sundowns on Tuesday evening, 11 February 2024.
Sundowns came into the match as favourites, after an impressive 4-1 win against Orlando Pirates over the weekend, but Galaxy proved that no team is in the Betway Premiership is invincible. Masandawana were last beaten in the Betway league on 27 October 2024.
Masandawana relied on players such as Lucas Ribeiro Costa, Peter Shalulile and Iqraam Rayners to press for an early goal in the opening minutes of the first half, but their usual dominance was properly annihilated. Galaxy studied the opponent very well by not allowing them to take control of the game.
Ribeiro was marked closely throughout the match and he was not allowed any space to manoeuvre as he usually does against other teams.
Mike Sebelebele clinched the lead for Galaxy in the 44th minute. Speaking at the post-match interview, Sebelebele said his coach told the players to apply medium block to frustrate Sundowns. Sebelebele was chosen as the man of the match for his outstanding performance.
Galaxy held on to the lead until the final whistle and Sundowns struggled to respond convincingly.
“ We had a plan and it worked very well. The coach told us to hit them with counter attacks because their defenders are slow. We figured out that they leave few players in their box and attack with a lot of players,” said Sebelebele.
Sundowns are still log leaders but the defeat has dented their reputation and destabilised their mission to stretch the lead, particularly from Pirates who are hot on their trail in the second position.
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