Mamelodi Sundowns took a commanding 4-0 first leg against Mbabane Swallows after the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round.
Iqraam Rayners and Asekho Tiwani made their first full debuts for the club, while there were also welcome returns for goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Lebohang Maboe, and Rivaldo Coetzee.
Eswatini outfit Mbabane Swallows had little answer for the mighty Brazilians, who quickly picked up where they left off last season, boosted by their new arrivals.
Teenage sensation Tiwani made an immediate impact just two minutes in when he won a penalty in the box that Lucas Ribeiro coolly converted to open the scoring.
Sundowns nearly doubled their lead shortly after, with new signing Arthur Sales forcing a smart save out of Swallows’ keeper from close range after some nice interplay with Ribeiro.
The second goal soon arrived anyway, however, as Mosa Lebusa rose above the defence to head in a perfectly delivered corner.
Sales’ involvement ended around the half-hour mark due to an injury that forced him off the field on a stretcher, with Thapelo Maseko replacing him.
The setback didn’t slow Sundowns, as Rayners also made an instant impact for his new club, netting his first goal in Masandawana colours after finding space in the box and firing home into the bottom corner.
Already in cruise control with a 3-0 lead at half-time, Ribeiro added some magic of his own with a superb solo effort to make it 4-0 in the 54th minute.
There would be no further goals for Sundowns in the remainder of the match but with a 4-0 lead secure after the opening round, it would take a minor miracle for Mbabane Swallows to come back from this deficit in the second leg.
