The year the Downs lion roared
Coach praises team, fans, owner as Downs fly high
This was a tough and awkward league title victory for Mamelodi Sundowns‚ coach Pitso Mosimane said after they wrapped up the Absa Premiership battle.
Sundowns gained a record eighth PSL title by efficiently dispatching desperate‚ secondlast Ajax Cape Town 3-1 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday.
Mosimane, in notching his third league title‚ all at Downs‚ to add to his two cups at the Brazilians and two more at SuperSport United‚ confirmed himself as South Africa’s premier football coach.
He said the low points total (59) was an indication of a tightly-contested league.
Their closest challengers are Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
“It was a bit difficult. I think it was the most awkward season for everybody‚ to be honest. Hence the number of points accumulated‚” he said.
“It hasn’t been easy... I mean‚ for the players to be playing Champions League‚ trying to win the Nedbank Cup up to the semifinals‚ playing every three days‚ no complaining.
“And when you win the league under those conditions‚ where you have two champions leagues overlapping with one PSL‚ you really feel that the boys have given you their best.
“You must thank the management‚ you must thank the board. You’ve got to thank the president of the team [Patrice Motsepe] for supporting us all the time.
“Without him we would not be able to keep going for five years. We need to thank all the supporters who have continued singing at the top of their voices. When we lose they sing. We drew against Maritzburg [United]‚ they sang; we lost against Maritzburg‚ they still sang. That’s the spirit that we want.”