Supporters carry Sundowns over the line, also pay tribute to Al Ahly’s Pitso Mosimane

Johannesburg — When the final whistle was blown, Al Ahly’s coach Pitso Mosimane turned to his bench with disappointment. But a few seconds later, he was drawn by loud chants of “Pitso, Pitso!”

The former Sundowns coach responded to the cacophony of noise by thanking the fans.

Mosimane wasn’t dreaming. His Al Ahly side had just been beaten for the second time in a row by his former employers Mamelodi Sundowns, while on the same breath, the handful of the supporters in the stands still lauded him as one of their own.

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Before the game, Mosimane was yet to get a befitting homecoming, both on and off the pitch. On his last trip home, he received a distasteful welcome from fans of the team that he had given some much in years.

Insults were hurled at him and his mother enroute to the stadium, while they could only see out a 1-1 draw from the game. Ahly’s entrance to the FNB wasn’t smooth this afternoon either as traffic from Sundowns’ fans impeded their way.

Such that they had to use an alternative route, thanks to the direction from law enforcement. The huge traffic was by no means to destabilise Al Ahly’s entrance as it may have been a struggle to control its flow – despite the low numbers.

It had been two years since supporters had been at the stadium as they’ve been suspended since the outbreak of Covid-19. But the staunch Sundowns’ faithful heeded to the call when they heard that 1500 fans would be allowed in the ground.

As few as they were, they were an army in the yellow and green regalia of the club. They sang their lungs out in front of the turnstiles where they received the match tickets after producing their proof of identification and vaccine certificate.

The Calabash is an ocean, the sort that you drown in should you dare not match its capacity. And that’s why Mosimane must have felt as though he was sinking when the 12th man was against him as he quietly took his seat ahead of kick-off.

But that was the tip of an iceberg for Mosimane, who seemed to have had a wet seat – having spent the entire first half on his feet. Well, that was before that iceberg soon had signs of being floods when his former team landed the sucker punch.

Lyle Lakay sent in a telling corner-kick that found the knee of Peter Shalulile who poked the ball past Mohammed El Shenawy. That was the perfect start for Sundowns and their faithful who had dreamt of this day for many, many moons.

It is matches like this where allegiance counts. Percy Tau remains the golden ball of South African football, but that he wore a red jersey today meant that he was an enemy. And the Brazilians’ fans didn’t hold back, booing him at times.

As regulation time loomed closer and closer, both nervy moments and euphoria engulfed the Downs’ faithful as Ahly were pushing for the equaliser. But in the end, the Brazilians hung on as they completed the double over their former coach.