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Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns netted a goal in each half as they dominated Kaizer Chiefs in all aspects, beating them 2-0 in an entertaining Premiership clash at Loftus on Sunday.
The three points from the win ensured that the Brazilians remain in the league title hunt, and now move up to third place in the standings while they have the advantage of having a game in hand.
They have now assembled 54 points after 27 matches and are five points adrift log leaders Ajax Cape Town.
Chiefs had been knocked out of the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals by Vodacom League side Baroka F.C last Sunday - and now the second loss in as many weeks just about ends their championship aspirations with two games left to play.
Mathematically, they can only win the coveted trophy if the sides in the top three on the table lose all of their matches.
Amakhosi shift a place down to fourth in the standings with 53 points from 28 games.
Scoring for Sundowns were striker Nyasha Mushekwi in the 33rd minute when he took advantage of a ball that rebounded to his path after goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune had initially saved a shot from midfielder Teko Modise.
The killer blow came in the 52nd minute through winger Elias Pelembe who blasted home from a cross from striker Katlego Mphela after the Mozambican international found himself unmarked in the box.
Sundowns outplayed the visitors and were off the mark faster in the fixture as they probed Chiefs' defence twice in the first 10 minutes.
Pelembe first drew a save from Khune from a shot taken at angle in the second minute before midfielder Matty Pattison found space to roam forward and attempt a shot outside the box that sailed narrowly wide of goal six minutes later.
Chiefs pushed forward soon after and lived to rue the chance from midfielder Josta Dladla who failed to beat keeper Wayne Sandilands in a one-on-one situation.
It was the turn of Mandla Masango in the 30th minute after being released by Mthokozisi Yende with the junior international midfielder abysmally finishing wide with Sandilands beaten.
Chiefs had started the game with star players in striker Knowledge Musona and winger Siphiwe Tshabalala on the bench while giving a first start to national Under-20 defender Lucky Baloyi - a tactical decision that ended up counting against coach Vladimir Vermezovic.
Sundowns should have added a third to completely annihilate Chiefs shortly before the hour mark through striker Mphela whose attempted lob over Khune went wide.
A consolation goal never did arrive for Chiefs as midfielder Tinashe Nengomasha and defender Thomas Sweswe were woeful in their finishes in the dying minutes.
