Sundowns still shine bright

It’s not an easy task for a professional outfit to lose four high profile players and continue with their form as if nothing had happened, and following the loss of Tefu Mashamaite, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Kingston Nkhatha and Mandla Masango, Kaizer Chiefs were never the same.

They had just won Absa Premiership under the guidance of coach Stuart Baxter in 2015, but Chiefs have not won a trophy since. Contrast that with Mamelodi Sundowns, lost five of their most high-profile players in the trio known as CBD, Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly, as well as Percy Tau and Bongani Zungu.

Still they have managed to win championships and stay at the top of the local game. Under the guidance of award-winning coach Pitso Mosimane, the Brazilians continue to win trophy after trophy with a new combination of players.

Mosimane churned out these new recruits and they are a marvel to watch today. Despite winning domestic glory, Mosimane is still hungry for CAF Champions League trophy he won in 2016.

It was wise of president Patrice Motsepe to extend the coach’s contract for a further four years. Mosimane will be 59 years old of age in 2024 and with Motsepe wanting him to become his own ‘Sir Alex Ferguson’, the coach they call ‘Jingles’ can continue to break more records.

Before the arrival of Mosimane, Motsepe used to import European coaches with impressive CVs and big reputations, but who delivered little.