The announcement by Irvin Khoza that R20 million awaits the champions would have served as motivation for a Mamelodi Sundowns side trying to keep up with Orlando Pirates.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS (1) 2
Letlhaku 26, 68
POLOKWANE CITY 0
DAVID Notoane – the Mamelodi Sundowns Diski Challenge team coach – said the other day that Kutlwano Letlhaku is a fantastic player with a great future. Well, the future is now.
No need for the teenager to wait until he is much older to show his class, right?
Not when the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng, Mduduzi Vilakazi and Mohau Nkota have been showing that age is not a factor when it comes to performing at the highest level.
It is the season for the teenagers, and Letlhaku raised his hand in emphatic fashion at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night, scoring a brace as Sundowns gained sweet revenge with a 2-0 win over a Polokwane City side that distracted their championship defence by beating them at the old Peter Mokaba Stadium 10 days prior.
The youngster had scored in cup matches, but was yet to open his account in the league.
He did so in style on Wednesday, finding the net in both halves with left-footed strikes which would have been applauded by some of the greatest lefties the game has seen.
On both occasions he was set up by Arthur Sales, the Brazilian making a slick back-heel pass to find the youngster on 26 minutes.
Letlhaku controlled well before cutting in, and then sweetly striking the ball to beat City goalkeeper Manuel Sapunga – although it must be said that the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper should have done better.
The DDC graduates have been cooking this season 🤌
Kutlwano Letlhaku leads Sundowns' revenge ✅
📺 Stream #BetwayPrem on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc@Betway_za pic.twitter.com/IcpBhd2v7J
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 6, 2024
The second goal on 68 minutes came about after Sundowns stole the ball from a lax City, and Sales unselfishly teed up for the youngster to again score with a left footer that far belied his age.
Letlhaku could well have scored more than two, but he blasted the ball against the side netting after showing amazing ball control and the confidence to make a pirouette after receiving the ball with his back to goal.
There are five million reasons why the Brazilians are not going to let go of their league title without a fight.
That’s the extra amount in prize money that the winners of the 2024/25 Premiership stand to win compared to the previous campaign.
The announcement by Premier Soccer League chairman Irvin Khoza earlier on Wednesday that a cheque of R20m awaits the champions would have served as further motivation for a Sundowns side that would have been inspired to keep up with pace-setters Orlando Pirates.
And there was also the desire to get even with City, who beat them 1-0 10 days prior.
Incomprehensibly, City were led by assistant coach Brice Aka, with head coach Phuti Mohafe conspicuous by his absence and the club not saying why that was the case.
Seven matches into the season, Sundowns are second on the table, three points behind the unbeaten Pirates going into the upcoming two-week break from local action due to the FIFA internationals.
* In the other Premiership match on Wednesday, Stellenbosch FC drew 1-1 with TS Galaxy at Athlone Stadium.
Fawaaz Basadien opened the scoring in the second minute for Stellies, but Nkosikhona Radebe grabbed the equaliser for The Rockets in the 72nd minute.
