Cassius Mailula is back. After a frustrating spell in the US, Morocco and Belgium, ‘Cash Money’ reannounced himself to the Mamelodi Sundowns with an extra-time winner during their tense 3-2 MTN8 quarterfinal win over Polokwane City at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday night. This match looked like it was headed for penalties but he nailed the winner from close range after 113 minutes as the Brazilians booked a place in the two-legged semifinals. In their first match of the season, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso made some interesting choices in his starting line-up by including debutant Antonio van Wyk and exciting attacker Bennet Mokoena. On the bench, Cardoso featured returning goalkeeper Ricardo Goss and Mailula while new City coach Willy Moloto did not tinker much with the team that he inherited from Phuti Mohafe. Moloto went with the experience of Tlou Nkwe, Lebohang Nkaki, Manuel Kambala, Rodney Maphangukle and Bonginkosi Dlamini and they held their own until the closing stages. City opened the scoring after seven minutes when Dlamini blasted the ball into the net after Sundowns defence failed to deal with a dipping ball from the left side of the field. Despite being a goal down, Sundowns continued to attack and they came close to drawing level after 21 minutes through Tashreeq Matthews. Matthews received a cross from the right wing and rose above everyone in the box to connect but his close-range header was pushed away for safety by goalkeeper Lindokuhle Mathebula. The Brazilians got it right after 21 minutes when Teboho Mokoena unleashed one of his trademark thunderous shots after he connected with a pass from debutant Van Wyk to beat Mathebula. A few minutes later, Mokoena nearly left the stadium on a stretcher after he was caught on the ankle with a stud up tackle by Surprise Mathonsi and needed medical attention. To the shock of everyone in the stadium, referee Philangenkosi Khumalo did not caution Mathonsi but fortunately Mokoena responded well to treatment and managed to continue with the match. It was not long before they took the lead for the first time in the match just after the half mark when Van Wyk struck the net from close range after City failed to close him down. City suffered a blow just before the hour mark when they were forced into a change after goalkeeper Mathebula walked off the field with injury to be replaced by Ayanda Ngwenya. City equalised after 60 minutes when striker Tidimalo Molokwane took advantage of a defensive mix-up by Sundowns to round off Williams and put the ball at the back of the net. Cardoso made his intentions of getting a goal with a triple substitution that saw Aubrey Modiba, Kutlwano Letlhaku and Mailula coming on for Fawaaz Basadien, Van Wyk and Iqraam Rayners. As part of the changes, Modiba was forward thinking as an inverter while Letlhaku and Mailula were out to offer different attacking options and to threaten Edwin Ramaja and Nkaki. With eight minutes to go, Cardoso refreshed his attack by introducing veteran striker Lebo Mothiba for Mokoena and later Themba Zwane was introduced to try and open up City. Moloto also rang changes of his own with Banele Mnguni and Raymond Daniels coming on for Moketsi Bathlabane and Bonginkosi Dlamini but they could not influence the match in their favour. With the match headed for the dreaded penalties, Mailula drilled one home from close range as he reintroduced himself to the Brazilians after a few years away from the club. There is no time to celebrate the win for Sundowns as they open their Betway Premiership campaign with a trip to TS Galaxy on Tuesday in Nelspruit while City hosted Stellenbosch FC in Seshego.