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Soweto - There were no goals, one red card and plenty of dirty tackles as Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns finished 0-0 in a highly anticipated Premier League match at Orlando Stadium.
Overall the supposed clash of the weekend failed to deliver the goods. The two best chances on goal - one falling to Mabhuti Khenyeza and the other to Ndumiso Mabena - should have been put away.
Punch Masenamela was sent off for a second bookable offence, when he put a boot into the face of Sameehg Doutie in the 78th minute.
But Khenyeza and several others were fortunate that Masenamela was the only player to be sent off in a night in which the players’ frustrations bubbled to the surface.
Bucs coach Julio Leal gave a rare start to Doutie and Rudolf Bester, who operated on the wings in place of injured Tlou Segolela and Daine Klate, who was relegated to the bench.
For Sundowns there was no Elias Pelembe or Teko Modise, both unavailable for selection.
It took ten minutes for the first shot on goal, which was blasted wide by Sundowns midfielder Musa Nyatama.
A few minutes later, Franklin Cale let rip with his right foot, but his attempt also went wide of Moeneeb Josephs’s goal.
After 21 minutes, Mabhuti Khenyeza attacked the near post on a corner and saw his glancing header flash over the crossbar.
Then some big tackles started flying in with Cale, Andile Jali and Khenyeza in the thick of the action while Punch Masenamela began finding space on the left flank for Sundowns.
In the 28th minute Bester came close to getting the ball under control with just Wayne Sandilands in front of him, but the Sundowns goalkeeper did well to dive over and secure the ball.
A minute later, Lucky Lekgwathi’s long range free kick almost found Siyabonga Sangweni lurking on the far post, but the big defender could not slow down his run in time to connect with the ball.
In the 32nd minute an early cross from the right is allowed to bounce inside the Pirates danger area and Khenyeza got a head onto the ball just before it ran out and the attempt was not far over Josephs’s crossbar.
Two minutes into the second half Lekgwathi was put clear on goal with a fantastic through ball, but his first touch was poor and Sandilands gathered the loose ball.
Then Sundowns’ best chance of the match came in the 52nd minute, when Mphahlele’s excellent cross from the right found Khenyeza in a great scoring position, but somehow he could not direct his header on goal.
Then in the 57th minute, Ndumiso Mabena broke free in a central position and found himself in an excellent position inside the area, but although he connected the ball well, Sandilands was in a great position to save.
Rantie Tokelo made his Pirates debut as a late substitution for Doutie, who needed to go off and tend to his bleeding nose from the Masenamela red card incident.
Overall the supposed clash of the weekend failed to deliver the goods. The two best chances on goal - one falling to Mabhuti Khenyeza and the other to Ndumiso Mabena - should have been put away.
Punch Masenamela was sent off for a second bookable offence, when he put a boot into the face of Sameehg Doutie in the 78th minute.
But Khenyeza and several others were fortunate that Masenamela was the only player to be sent off in a night in which the players’ frustrations bubbled to the surface.
Bucs coach Julio Leal gave a rare start to Doutie and Rudolf Bester, who operated on the wings in place of injured Tlou Segolela and Daine Klate, who was relegated to the bench.
For Sundowns there was no Elias Pelembe or Teko Modise, both unavailable for selection.
It took ten minutes for the first shot on goal, which was blasted wide by Sundowns midfielder Musa Nyatama.
A few minutes later, Franklin Cale let rip with his right foot, but his attempt also went wide of Moeneeb Josephs’s goal.
After 21 minutes, Mabhuti Khenyeza attacked the near post on a corner and saw his glancing header flash over the crossbar.
Then some big tackles started flying in with Cale, Andile Jali and Khenyeza in the thick of the action while Punch Masenamela began finding space on the left flank for Sundowns.
In the 28th minute Bester came close to getting the ball under control with just Wayne Sandilands in front of him, but the Sundowns goalkeeper did well to dive over and secure the ball.
A minute later, Lucky Lekgwathi’s long range free kick almost found Siyabonga Sangweni lurking on the far post, but the big defender could not slow down his run in time to connect with the ball.
In the 32nd minute an early cross from the right is allowed to bounce inside the Pirates danger area and Khenyeza got a head onto the ball just before it ran out and the attempt was not far over Josephs’s crossbar.
Two minutes into the second half Lekgwathi was put clear on goal with a fantastic through ball, but his first touch was poor and Sandilands gathered the loose ball.
Then Sundowns’ best chance of the match came in the 52nd minute, when Mphahlele’s excellent cross from the right found Khenyeza in a great scoring position, but somehow he could not direct his header on goal.
Then in the 57th minute, Ndumiso Mabena broke free in a central position and found himself in an excellent position inside the area, but although he connected the ball well, Sandilands was in a great position to save.
Rantie Tokelo made his Pirates debut as a late substitution for Doutie, who needed to go off and tend to his bleeding nose from the Masenamela red card incident.
