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Sundowns shine brightly in Kinshasa

Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns registered their first Group C win in the CAF Champions League with a superb 3-1 victory against Vita club in the DR Congo on Wednesday.

The South African club had the first chance of the game in the ninth minute when some neat interplay set Yannick Zakri in on goal, but his shot drew a superb save from Vita keeper Lukong Bongaman.

The hosts also posed a threat going forward but never really managed to test Sundowns keeper Denis Onyango and it was the visitors who grabbed the lead midway through the first half when Anthony Laffor emphatically headed home Tebogo Langerman's cross at the back post.

But the Black Dolphins were to restore parity within eight minutes after Omar Sidibe squeezed a shot from just outside the area in at the left post.

Sundowns looked like they should have been awarded a penalty 10 minutes before half-time when Percy Tau had his foot clipped in the box, but the referee chose to ignore the apparent infringement.

Zakri was then very unlucky to see his parting shot hit the crossbar in the 43rd minute after a storming run before Sibusiso Vilakazi curled an effort over the bar from inside the box.

The Brazilians continued to pressurize the DR Congo team after the restart and Bongaman had to be on top of his game to stop Tau and then Themba Zwane from scoring.

The visitors refused to relent and they were back in front in 10 minutes after the break when Zakri fired in a low shot from 20 yards out after the hosts had conceded possession in midfield.

Zwane should have scored another goal 10 minutes later, but blasted his shot over the bar from close range after Tau had set him up.

But it was not to prove to be costly as Vilakazi made sure of the victory after muscling his way past two defenders before cleverly beating the on-rushing  Bongaman.

The result takes Downs to the top of Group C on four points from two games, level with Esperance de Tunis.

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