CHEERS TO MAMELODI SUNDOWNS!
MAMELODI Sundowns supporters were in full voice at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on Wednesday night, and rightly so.
Their team had been crowned DStv Premiership champions for a remarkable fifth consecutive time, and it was their 12th Premier Soccer League title overall (to go with three in the old National Soccer League).
And, not only that, Masandawana did it with four matches to spare, so they can enjoy a guard of honour in their remaining fixtures. It was a welcome celebration after the disappointment of being knocked out of the lucrative Caf Champions League at the quarter-final stage for the second consecutive season last weekend.
They drew 1-1 with Petro de Luanda of Angola at the FNB Stadium, which saw them lose the tie 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-1 defeat in the first leg.
That result was a bitter pill to swallow, as Sundowns won the continental trophy in 2016 under former coach Pitso Mosimane, but haven’t gone beyond the semi-finals since.
They were able to put that disappointment behind them on Wednesday night, when they began their match against Cape Town City needing just a point to clinch the championship.
They managed to secure a 0-0 draw, which was enough to begin the celebrations. Sundowns were dominant throughout the league season, having scored the most goals (50), conceded the least (14) while racking up 58 points, 13 ahead of second-placed Royal AM.
Sundowns boss Patrice Motsepe was criticised in some quarters for appointing three top coaches to replace Mosimane – who had joined Egyptian club Al Ahly – in October 2020 in the shape of Manqoba Mngqithi, Rulani Mokwena and later Steve Komphela, to steer the ship, but the unusual move has worked a treat.
And the good times don’t end there for the Chloorkop-based club. Sundowns are also competing for the Nedbank Cup title, and will play in the semi-finals against Royal AM tomorrow at Chatsworth Stadium in Durban.
They have won that tournament five times already, with the latest success coming in 2020.
So, while their journey in Africa ended last weekend, let’s toast Mzansi’s finest football team!