Mamelodi Sundowns eased into the next round of the Nedbank Cup with a 6-1 destruction of NB La Masia at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday evening.
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The DStv Premiership leaders overwhelmed the Motsepe Foundation Championship club and found the back of the net six times, with Gaston Sirino registering a hat-trick.
Matias Esquivel, Terrence Mashego and Lebohang Maboe also got their names on the score sheet for the Brazilians, while Fuad Johnson netted the home side’s consolation goal.
𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 𝐋𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐚 1️⃣-6️⃣𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) February 20, 2024
Mamelodi Sundowns make light work of La Masia to book a spot in the #NedbankCup round of 16 ✅ pic.twitter.com/Mn7SAvJTC9
La Masia started strongly and went toe-to-toe with the national champions in the opening quarter hour, but they were caught out by Sundowns’ class in the 18th minute.
Maboe played a superb pass to spring the offside trap and put Sirino in on goal, and the Uruguayan then provided a fine left-footed finish past goalkeeper Cuwen Prince for 1-0.
And it was 2-0 in the 22nd minute, as new signing Esquivel whipped a left-footed shot direct from a free kick into the back of the net – though Prince got a hand to the effort and will be disappointed that he didn’t keep the ball out.
Esquivel then turned provider in the 27th minute, playing a perfectly-weighted pass to put the adventurous Mashego in on goal through the middle of the park, and the left-back easily finished for 3-0.
SIRINO HAT-TRICK
La Masia were given a lifeline just after the half-hour mark when Marcelo Allende clumsily went off his feet in a challenge (though he did appear to be fouled initially) and gave away a penalty.
Johnson scored from the spot kick to reduce the deficit to 3-1 in the 36th minute.
Yet less than three minutes later Sundowns restored a three-goal advantage, as Maboe tore through the defence before unselfishly squaring to Sirino, who just managed to halt his momentum and scoop a looping effort into the net for 4-1.
The Brazilians made a triple change at the start of the second half, with Allende, Mosa Lebusa and Junior Mendieta (who had all received a booking in the first half) making way for Thembinkosi Lorch, Bongani Zungu and Neo Maema.
The visitors snuffed out any slight hope La Masia may have had with a fifth goal four minutes after the restart, as Sirino played in Maboe, who finished with a clever ‘dink’ past the ‘keeper for 5-1.
Sundowns eased off the throttle somewhat, but still added a sixth in the 70th minute when Lorch provided a low cross from the right which was steered home by Sirino to complete his hat-trick.
Hattrick hero Sirino clinches Man of the Match!⚽
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) February 20, 2024
Well done, GS10! 🔥#Sundowns #DownsLive #NedbankCup pic.twitter.com/wOLAHYSybJ
La Masia will be back in Motsepe Foundation Championship action on Friday, 1 March with a match away to Maritzburg United, while Sundowns will be away to Mauritania’s FC Nouadhibou on Saturday, 24 February in the CAF Champions League.
NB La Masia (1) 1 (Johnson 36’ pen)
Mamelodi Sundowns (4) 6 (Sirino 18’ 39’ 70’, Esquivel 22’, Mashego 27’, Maboe 49’)
La Masia: Prince, Ngobeza, Bull, Saralina, Rademeyer, Johnson (Green 72’), Manning (John 75’), Baatjies, Williams (Kakora 59’), Wee (Manzini 59’), May (Roelf 59’)
Sundowns: D. Onyango, Mdunyelwa, Lebusa (Maema 46’), Lunga (B. Onyango 71’), Mashego, Maboe (Matthews 77’), Mbule, Allende (Zungu 46’), Mendieta (Lorch 46’), Sirino, Esquivel