Antonio Van Wyk of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates scoring the winning goal as they beat Golden Arrows 3-2 to advance to the MTN8 finals on away goals' advantage as they drew 3-3 on aggregate.
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Antonio van Wyk came off the bench to turn the MTN8 semi-final on its head as Mamelodi Sundowns fought back to beat Golden Arrows 3-2 at King Goodwill Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday and book their place in the final.
Having trailed 1-0 from the first leg, Sundowns found themselves level on aggregate when Cassius Mailula struck in the 31st minute.
But Arrows, roared on by a passionate home crowd, appeared to have weathered the storm after Junior Dion restored their advantage in the second half.
Instead, it was Van Wyk who emerged as the unlikely hero for the African champions.
Sundowns continued to press after the break and thought they had scored a second when Ndamane Khulumani bundled the ball into the Arrows net following a deflected cross by Fawaaz Basadien, only for the goal to be ruled out for handball.
The pressure on Abafana Bes’thende was relentless, but they remained dangerous on the break.
A fantastic cutback by Ronaldo van Neel was wasted after one such rare Arrows attack, while goalkeeper Thakasani Mbanjwa kept his side in the contest with another fine save.
The home fans finally erupted in the 69th minute when Dion smashed the ball into the roof of the net after more great work from Van Neel on the left. With Arrows now needing to hold out for around 20 minutes to reach their first MTN8 final since 2009, they packed bodies behind the ball.
The Sundowns substitute provided the spark his side needed in the 77th minute, sending a dangerous cross into the box that the Arrows defence failed to deal with.
Marcelo Allende pounced on the loose ball to put Sundowns 2-1 ahead on the night and level the tie on aggregate.
Arrows were suddenly hanging on, with Sundowns now in line for a final against Orlando Pirates unless the home side could pull another rabbit out of the hat.
Instead, it was Van Wyk who landed the killer blow.
The substitute turned from provider to scorer in the 85th minute, his long-range effort dipping under the diving Mbanjwa and into the net to put Sundowns 3-1 ahead on the night.
Arrows pulled one back in the 90th minute through Phiulani Khumalo, but the damage had already been done.
The late goal offered the home fans a final glimmer of hope, but Sundowns held on to complete a dramatic turnaround and seal their place in the MTN8 final.
After all Arrows’ resistance and all the promise of a first final appearance in 17 years, their slender first-leg advantage had disappeared.
Sundowns, meanwhile, had done what champions do — kept pressing until the breakthrough came, then made sure the door was firmly shut.
Final score: Golden Arrows 2-3 Mamelodi Sundowns (Sundowns win 3-2 on aggregate)
Scorers: Golden Arrows – Junior Dion 69’, Khumalo 90’; Mamelodi Sundowns – Cassius Mailula 31’, Marcelo Allende 77’, Antonio Van Wyk 85’.
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