Adams nets late winner for Sundowns against Sekhukhune

Mamelodi Sundowns needed extra-time to get past a stubborn Sekhukhune United and book their place in the semi-finals of the Nedbank Cup on Friday night.

The Brazilians edged Babina Noko 1-0 with substitute Jayden Adams scoring the winner with two minutes left at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.

Sundowns were the aggressors for the entire game against a United team that parked the bus, and they were rewarded late in the match.

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Just when it looked like the game was heading for a penalty-shootout, Adams popped up inside the box to poke the winner after a scramble inside the box.  

As expected, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso left some of his big-name players on the bench. The Tshwane giants had one eye on next Tuesday’s first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final. Returning Bafana Bafana internationals Thapelo Morena, Teboho Mokoena and Adams were all omitted from the starting XI.

Peter Shalulile and Lucas Ribeiro were also on the bench with the big game against the Tunisian giants around the corner.There was nothing to write about in the opening 45 minutes apart from a few half chances. 

Both Matias Esquivel and Arthur Sales wasted good opportunities to give Sundowns the lead shortly after the restart. Credit must be given to United goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner who also produced a point-blank save to deny Iqraam Rayners on the half-hour mark. 

He also made two good saves to keep Esquivel and Sales from opening the scoring in Tshwane. With the game deadlocked after 65 minutes, it was only a matter of time before Cardoso made changes in an effort to avoid extra time. Ribeiro, Shalulile and Mokoena were part of a triple change that saw Iqraam Rayners, Esquivel and Neo Maema making way.

Sales once again got his bearings wrong, this time, his first-time shot in the 83rd minute went over the bar after he was set up by Ribeiro inside the box. The frustration was visible from the Sundowns bench after they couldn’t find a breakthrough in 90 minutes.

Leaner produced another good reflex save to parry away Grant Kekana’s goal-bound header from a corner kick in the dying minutes of the game. Ribeiro was next to get his wonderfully taken free kick thwarted by Leaner in injury time.

There was a moment of controversy when Shalulile’s last minute goal was ruled out for offside. The Sundowns technical team were incensed with the call made by Sikhumbuzo Gasa and his assistant after television replays showed that the Namibian was onside when Sales made the square pass to him on the far post.

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Fresh from scoring two goals for Bafana against Lesotho and Benin in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Adams continued his form in domestic football and his goal secured passage into the last four of the knockout cup competition where they will play Kaizer Chiefs.