Mamelodi Sundowns have hit a record 24 goals in a South African top-class match after Dutch coach Johan Neeskens told his team to “show no mercy” against fourth-tier cup opponents.
The league leaders turned a Nedbank Cup last-32 round tie against Powerlines FC into a training session in 40C heat at the GWK Stadium, opening the scoring within seven minutes and leading 10-0 by half-time.
And it could have been even more embarrassing for the home side as Sundowns had two goals disallowed and rattled the crossbar once as they cruised into the last 16 of the annual competition.
Midfielder Hlompho Kekana, who had failed to score since the season kicked off in August last year, struck the opening goal and finished with seven, Zimbabwean Nyasha Mushekwi notched six and fellow striker Richard Henyekane five.
Substitute defender Samuel Julies netted twice in the city where he grew up, and Mozambican midfielder Elias “Dominguez” Pelembe and substitute striker Lebohang Mokoena were also on target twice.
The 24-0 scoreline easily bettered two 16-0 victories by Durban club AmaZulu in 1976 and 1986 in the early stages of cup competitions where top-flight clubs are often drawn against amateur opponents.
Malagasy club AS Adema claimed the African victory margin record 10 years ago when they won 149-0 against Stade Olympique Emyrne, who deliberately scored own goal after own goal to protest a refereeing decision.
Neeskens, a midfielder in the Netherlands teams beaten by hosts West Germany and Argentina in the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals, backed his decision to brutally expose Powerlines during a cup tie televised live throughout Africa.
“My instructions were to score as many goals as possible. This result is good for our confidence and what I really admired was the way the team kept it simple even when dominant.
“It does not matter whether it is 40, 50, 60 or minus 20 degrees because the ball never gets tired and I told my players to let the ball do the work,” said the former Barcelona assistant coach who joined Sundowns in the middle of last year.
“I want to compliment my players for entertaining the public and going about their job seriously.
“There was no ‘gallery’ football because they know I will not tolerate that.”
Powerlines goalkeeper Thabang Louw wore a surprisingly broad smile for someone who had picked the ball out of the net 24 times, telling reporters he was determined to learn from “a very tough experience” against Sundowns.
