What the Siya crew has been told…

Over the last few weeks, Mamelodi Sundowns have been taking blows left, right and centre from coaches and former players who feel that the club is dominating football because of their deep pockets.

But the Siya crew has been given inside information on how they have transformed the team into a mean machine that is well on its way to winning a sixth straight league title.

The Brazilians have never hidden behind the fact that they have the money to spend on players they want. However, this is not the only reason they are dominating local football, with the technical team, management and players all playing important roles to ensure that the club is head and shoulders above the rest.

Every training session at Sundowns is recorded and they spend time analyzing the sessions, as well as the matches they play, which includes friendlies. Players have homework to do, by watching matches.

And while they have spent millions to bring in some of the best talent, the Chloorkop-based outfit have also done a lot of work behind the scenes to produce their own, promoting the likes of Percy Tau, the late Motjeka Madisha and more recently Cassius Mailula, who has grown from strength to strength.

The perception seems to be that Sundowns are the only ones spending money in the league, but fellow big guns have also spent and the Siya crew has been informed that they have the money to sign players.

When Bidvest Wits was sold a few seasons ago, the Buccaneers signed Thulani Hlatshwayo, Deon Hotto, Thabang Monare and Terrence Dzvukamanja from them, having previously signed Gabadinho Mhango, Ben Motshwari and Xola Mlambo from the Clever Boys. The Tshwane giants, meanwhile, snapped up Gift Motupa, Haashim Domingo and Ricardo Goss from the same team.

The Buccaneers also spent money on Richard Ofori, Fortune Makaringe and later Bandile Shandu from Maritzburg United. These are the same players who played with Lebohang Maboe and Rushine De Reuck, who are now in the colours of Sundowns.

Kaizer Chiefs spent a reported R10 million for Ashley Du Preez from Stellenbosch FC and around R3 million for Zitha Kwinika. There was some money spent by the Naturenabased side to bring in Dillon Solomons, Kamohelo Mahlatsi and George Matlou from Swallows FC this past season too, while the club is understood to have forked out around R6 million to secure Yusuf Maart’s signature from Sekhukhune United.

“People make it look like Chiefs and Pirates don’t have money to spend, but they do. But we need to look at how much those players have improved, for example, at Chiefs,” a source, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

“When you look at Chiefs and Pirates, they have been buying players. Chiefs brought in quite a few players. The fact is that Pirates and Chiefs are recruiting. In terms of pure recruitment, all teams are recruiting. It’s just the backroom work that Sundowns is doing that’s putting them ahead.”

The big salaries Sundowns are willing to pay have often seen them winning the race to sign players, but this does not necessarily mean that the Soweto giants are not able to compete on that front.