Sundowns clinch Champions League place

Pretoria: Mamelodi Sundowns sealed a 2016 CAF Champions League place Wednesday by defeating fellow Pretoria club SuperSport United 2-1 in the South African Premiership.

Winger Mzikayise Mashaba scored both goals for expensively-assembled Sundowns, putting his club ahead on three minutes and scoring the mid-second half winner.

SuperSport, who share the Lucas `Masterpieces` Moripe Stadium in west Pretoria with Sundowns, levelled midway through the opening half via New Zealand striker Jeremy Brockie.

Victory gave 2001 Champions League runners-up Sundowns an unassailable five-point lead over Orlando Pirates and Wits in the race for second spot with one round left.

"Mzikayise is finally listening to me," said Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane. "I told him not to cross the ball all the time but rather cut in and score goals.

"That is what (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Alexis) Sanchez do, and look at how many goals they score. My wingers must do the same."

Champions Kaizer Chiefs, who clinched the title a week ago, lost at home in the Premiership for the first time this season when going down 2-1 to Wits in Soweto.

Wits experimented with several youngsters and the gamble paid off with teen Paseka Sekese nodding the 58th-minute winner after a clinical counter-attack.

Namibian Henrico Botes gave Wits an early lead that was cancelled by Siphiwe Tshabalala before half-time at Soccer City stadium.

"Wits were hungrier than us," admitted Chiefs` England-born coach Stuart Baxter. "We must take this knock on the chin and move forward."

Pirates fell behind after five minutes at mid-table Maritzburg United when Happy Jele deflected a shot into his net.

But in-form Kermit Erasmus added to a CAF Confederation Cup hat-trick last weekend by levelling in the second half and forcing a 1-1 draw at Harry Gwala Stadium in Pietermaritzburg 

The relegation struggle took a dramatic turn with Moroka Swallows dropping to the bottom after conceding a stoppage-time goal and losing 2-1 at Ajax Cape Town.

Having taken a second-half lead, the Soweto Birds allowed Ajax to score two headed goals from corners with Nigerian goalkeeper Greg Etafia partly to blame for both.

"We did not attack the ball when those corners came into the goalmouth and that is unforgivable," lamented Swallows coach Craig Rosslee.

AmaZulu edged ahead of Swallows on goal difference by coming from behind to triumph 2-1 at Pretoria University through a Bongi Ntuli brace. 

"The boys displayed great character and determination. Now we must refresh mentally and prepare for another must-win match," said AmaZulu coach Steve Barker.

AmaZulu host Maritzburg and Swallows host Bloemfontein Celtic Saturday in the final round with the Durban club having a six-goal better difference.