Captain Hlompho wants more How Sundowns won the title
Mosimane’s era has piled up trophies for Downs
Even with eight Absa Premiership titles, Hlompho Kekana has cautioned Mamelodi Sundowns are not about to relent on their dominance of domestic football.
Sundowns extended their record of league titles in the Premiership era to eight with a 3-1 victory over Ajax Cape Town at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday, with Kekana and his teammates toasting Pitso Mosimane’s third title at the club.
The Mosimane era has now brought seven trophies in five years, and Kekana has warned more will follow.
“There’s no greater feeling than winning,” the Sundowns skipper said yesterday. “That feeling will push you to yearn for more. We want to be remembered as players who made history. Even my mom called me on Saturday to ask me where I rank this [latest] title win, and I couldn’t answer because it’s something you can’t explain.”
Kekana dismissed the assertion that Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, who occupy second and third place behind the Brazilians, could threaten Sundowns’ hegemony.
“The reality is other teams are getting stronger, not just Chiefs and Pirates. We had it tough against the likes of Baroka, Maritzburg United, Free State Stars. Next season I foresee a lot of surprises.”
The skipper credited his team’s resilience in the second round for their success, after an indifferent first round during which they lost five games. “We became consistent towards the end of the season. We found a winning formula and never looked back. When it was said April would be a tough month for us, we found momentum and built on that.”
Kekana, who turns 33 next month, has been the fulcrum of the team, and has seen key players come and go. In 2014, his midfield partner was Bongani Zungu. But he left for Europe and was soon followed by Keagan Dolly.
Others players in Downs’ previous title triumphs - such as Teko Modise and Leo Castro - have also since left. Now talk is that Percy Tau and Khama Billiat will not be there next season as they seek greener pastures and new challenges.
“We don’t feel the impact of players leaving because the technical team has established a certain philosophy. I used to play with Zungu, but someone else came in. We have assembled players who know how to take responsibility.”
It was a definitive weekend in the Absa Premiership title race, but several teams will be looking forward to May 12 with excitement and apprehension alike as the domestic league comes to a close.
The biggest talking point on Saturday’s programme was the confirmation of Mamelodi Sundowns as PSL champions, with Orlando Pirates’ 1-0 loss at Cape Town City ensuring the Brazilians cannot be overtaken.
City’s win , thanks to a great strike by Ayanda Patosi, ensured the Cape side booked their place in next season’s MTN8.
Free State Stars complete the top six and are also in the season-opening top eight competition following their home draw against Polokwane City, but two places are still up for grabs.
Golden Arrows, Chippa United, Bidvest Wits and AmaZulu, will strive for victories on the final day and hope results elsewhere go their way.
Reigning
MTN8 champions SuperSport United will not defend their crown and instead must face the possibility of being dragged into the promotion playoffs, should they fail to beat Baroka on the final day and Ajax Cape Town and Polokwane win their games.
Polokwane will fancy their chances against Chippa at home, while Ajax have a tricky tie at home to
Kaizer Chiefs. Baroka, for whom Doctor Khumalo took charge of their 2-2 draw against Bloemfontein Celtic on Saturday after replacing MacDonald Makhubedu the previous day, are not good travellers and could be in trouble if they lose to SuperSport. But Bakgaga bounced back after finishing 15th last year, winning the playoffs. Chiefs beat Maritzburg United 2-0 in their final home match on Saturday. They could secure their highest log position (third) since 2015 if they win at Ajax. They would qualify for next year’s CAF Confederation Cup. But if they surrender third spot to Maritzburg, Free State Stars would qualify as they face the Team of Choice in the Nedbank Cup final on May 19.
Weekend Results:
Chippa 1, SuperSport 1; FS Stars 0, Polokwane 0; Sundowns 3, Ajax 1; Baroka 2, Celtic 2; CPT City 1, Pirates 0; Arrows 3, Platinum Stars 2; Chiefs 2, Maritzburg 0; Wits 3, AmaZulu 2