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| - Brazilian defender Ricardo Nascimento scored for the second successive match as Mamelodi Sundowns beat Maritzburg United 2-0 on Wednesday and stretched their South African Premiership lead to four points. Centre-back Nascimento is known as an expert penalty-taker in the richest African league, always patiently waiting until the goalkeeper moves before selecting where to place the ball. He demonstrated his spot-kick skills again against lowly Maritzburg in Pretoria, allowing German goalkeeper Marcel Engelhardt to dive to his right, then planting the ball in the opposite corner. Last Sunday, Nascimento scored for the first time this season, also from a penalty, to trigger a 3-0 rout of Orlando Pirates in Soweto. His goal on 39 minutes gave Sundowns a lead they doubled 19 minutes from time when Gift Motupa rifled an angled shot across Engelhardt into the far corner. Victory lifted Sundowns to 54 points from 25 matches, four more than surprise challengers AmaZulu, who have played an extra game. Sundowns need to win three of their remaining five matches -- two at home and three away -- to be certain of a record fourth straight Premiership title. Their run-in begins on Sunday with a visit to mid-table TS Galaxy, and they then travel to Egypt for a CAF Champions League quarter-final first leg against title-holders Al Ahly. Maritzburg, who are coached by German Ernst Middendorp, slipped one place to 13th, just one point above the relegation zone. On Tuesday, TTM moved out of the drop zone after Thabo Mnyamane converted a 98th-minute penalty to inflict a 2-1 defeat on 10-man Kaizer Chiefs, who had Njabulo Blom sent off before half-time. While Chiefs have done well to reach the CAF Champions League for the first time this season, their Premiership form has been poor as they lie ninth with only six wins in 26 matches. dl/jc
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