Mamelodi Sundowns were held to a 2-2 draw by Platinum Stars in their Absa Premiership encounter at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Thursday evening, writes MARSHALL GOUTS.

Pitso Mosimane made three changes to his side that lost 1-0 to Bidvest Wits, with Yannick Zakri, Anthony Laffor and Thabo Nthethe all being handed rare starting berths.

Cavin Johnson also made three changes to his side that lost 2-0 to Ajax Cape Town, with Willem Mwedihanga, Ryan De Jongh and Bonginkosi Ntuli being restored to the line-up.

The home side came out guns blazing and almost took the lead in the second minute, but Laffor blazed his effort over the crossbar.

Masandawana were rewarded for their early dominance when Nthethe reacted quickest to a goal mouth scramble to give his side the lead in the fifth minute.

The goal saw Dikwena up their tempo in search of the equaliser and they were duly rewarded in the 15th minute, courtesy of a fine individual effort by Ndumiso Mabena, who evaded two challenges before steering his effort past Denis Onyango to make it 1-1.

Neither side were able to further add to their goals in the first-half, with Sundowns dominating possession stakes but failing to penetrate the resilient and robust Stars defence.

Sundowns emerged as the more dominant team in the second half, but it was the visitors who would take the lead in the 53rd minute, when Mabena grabbed his brace after an emphatic strike which got the better of Onyango.

Masandawana threw numbers forward in search of the equaliser and were fortunate to level matters in the 63rd minute when Zakri was at the right place at the right time to grab his first club goal to make it 2-2.

Mosimane made a number of attacking substitutions in a bid to restore his sides lead, but Stars managed to cancel out any Sundowns attack in the remaining minutes to gain a valuable point and dent the home side’s title aspirations.

Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/Backpagepix