Sundowns Run Riot to Beat AmaZulu 5-2 in Seven-Goal Loftus Thriller

Match Summary

PRETORIA — Mamelodi Sundowns produced a ruthless attacking display to beat AmaZulu 5-2 at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday night, ending Usuthu's unbeaten start to the season and moving the Brazilians level on 10 points with early Betway Premiership 2026/27 leaders Orlando Pirates.

Both sides had arrived at Loftus locked on seven points from three matches, with Sundowns looking to respond immediately to a shock 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in the first leg of their MTN8 semi-final at the weekend, and AmaZulu determined to protect a perfect start to their league campaign under coach Pablo/Zwane. It was the hosts, however, who took total control on the night.

How the Match Unfolded

Sundowns almost broke the deadlock inside the opening minutes when Cassius Mailula unleashed a powerful strike that was well saved by AmaZulu goalkeeper Wilfried "Faveur" Kouassi. The pressure told soon after: in the 25th minute, midfielder Brayan León opened the scoring with what was described as a "lovely finish" from just outside the box for his second league goal of the campaign.

Sundowns doubled their lead in the 32nd minute through the returning Teboho Mokoena, who — back in the side for the first time since the opening match of the season — curled home a free kick "top bins" to put the hosts firmly in control. Tashreeq Matthews added a third in the 51st minute to make it 3-0 before AmaZulu hit back through Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya, who pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time and again in the 69th/70th minute, completing a brace and moving to the top of the Betway Premiership's goalscoring charts in the process.

Any hopes of a genuine AmaZulu comeback were snuffed out in the 66th minute, when León struck again to complete his own brace — reacting quickest to smash home a rebound after Matthews' initial effort had come back off the post. Substitute Bennet Mokoena then rounded off the scoring deep into stoppage time, netting his first goal for the club to make it 5-2 and cap a five-goal display from the hosts.

Match Statistics

Statistic	Mamelodi Sundowns	AmaZulu FC
Final Score	5	2
Goals — 1st Half	2 (León, T. Mokoena)	1 (Ngwenya, 45+1')
Goals — 2nd Half	3 (Matthews, León, B. Mokoena)	1 (Ngwenya, 69'/70')
Braces	Brayan León (25', 66')	Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya (46', 69'/70')
Venue	Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria

Standings Impact

The result lifts Mamelodi Sundowns to 10 points from four matches, moving them up to joint-top of the Betway Premiership standings level with Orlando Pirates, and ends AmaZulu's unbeaten start to the 2026/27 campaign, handing Usuthu their first league defeat of the season. Sundowns' record against AmaZulu at Loftus Versfeld — and their extended unbeaten home run in Pretoria — remained intact heading into the international break.

For Miguel Cardoso's Sundowns, the win serves as an immediate response following the midweek MTN8 semi-final setback against Golden Arrows, while AmaZulu will look to regroup after their first loss of the season disrupted what had otherwise been a smooth start to the campaign under their own coaching setup.

Also Read: MTN8 Semifinal Wrap-Up

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