Lucas Ribeiro Costa of Mamelodi Sundowns could be the deciding factor for Mamelodi Sundowns against Orlando Pirates. BackpagePix
Maswanganyi stunned the 90,000-strong crowd at the FNB Stadium's 'Calabash' as he stepped up with an audacious Panenka penalty kick that gave Pirates a 1-0 victory.
Sundowns will be thinking about their own Loftus Versfeld showstopper for Saturday's clash against Pirates.
The man best equipped to deliver their Panenka moment is Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro who can rightly claim to the be the best player in the Betway Premiership.
With each passing game, Ribeiro has trended on social media for his impressive skills and telling contributions for Sundowns.
Fans have mockingly said that Sundowns should double the amount they paid for Ribeiro.
The big question is what will Pirates’ tactician Jose Riveiro do about containing the Ribeiro menace.
The general feeling is that Ribeiro is in a league of his own.
His speed, skill, finesse and flair are unmatched in the Premiership and his coach Miguel Cardoso says he has yet to reach his peak.
Paseka Mako, the Pirates' stalwart defender who is closing in on his 100th game, looks like a candidate to look after Ribeiro.
At the age of 30 years, he is not a spring chicken and the free-running Ribeiro could run him ragged if Sundowns allow him to run the show from their engine room.
Other than Mako, Riveiro may look to another 30-year-old, Namibian Deon Hotto. This may not be a wise move because it will detract from Hotto's counter-attacking ability.
And then there is midfielder Makhelene Makhaula who has been back-to-back 'Player-of-the-Match' winners in Pirates last two games.
At the age of 35 years, he will be the oldest player on the field and is brimming with confidence after his stand-out performances.
Makhaula has done incredibly well to support wherever Pirates' defence showed a vulnerability, but this season he has yet to come up against a quality side like Sundowns.
If Ribeiro does not make his usual impact, Sundowns have the mercurial Chilean midfielder Marcelo Allende whose high work rate can be a nightmare for opposition defences.
He constantly moves between the side's defence and attack, looking to provide a link between the two departments.
His biggest threat is pulling opposition defences out of position, and he works well with midfielder Teboho Mokoena, whose play is blossoming around Ribeiro and Allende.
In light of recent performances, there is growing optimism among Mzansi's football fans that Sundowns can finally be toppled after winning the league consecutively for seven years.
Pirates have a far bigger following than Sundowns and expect 'The Ghost', as Pirates' fans are known, to drown out the Masandawana faithful at Loftus where tickets were sold out just over a week ago.
Whereas it’s easy to single out Sundowns' likely matchwinners, Pirates can call on Maswanganyi, Makhaula and rising stars Relebohile Mofokeng and Mohau Nkota to bring their Big Match Temperament and cause pandemonium at Loftus on the day.
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