Pitso attracted a lot of the PSL’s best to Sundowns
Looking at some of the top picks he recruited while winning 5 league title
Through his almost eight years at Mamelodi Sundowns, former coach Pitso Mosimane signed several of the best players to be seen in the Premier Soccer League.
Here we look at some of the top picks he recruited while winning five league titles and the 2016 Caf Champions League before leaving this week to join Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
Bongani Zungu: Mosimane signed Zungu from University of Pretoria in 2013 and the big skilful midfielder quickly established himself as one of the key players for the team.
Zungu helped Sundowns in their 2016 Caf Champions League campaign but he did not get a winners medal as he joined Vitória
Guimarães in Portugal a few months before the final. He is currently on the books of Amiens SC in France.
Keagan Dolly: Mosimane recalled Dolly to Sundowns from Ajax Cape Town in 2014 and the wide midfielder proved his worth with eye-catching performances including winning the Champions League.
His performances attracted the interest of French Ligue 1 side Montpellier who signed him in 2017 after what was one of the most controversial transfer sagas in PSL history. Khama Billiat: Possibly Mosimane s best recruit, he signed him from Ajax Cape Town in 2013 and the Zimbabwean international flourished. He was key in Sundowns winning the Champions League and was part of the devastating CBD attacking trio with Dolly “” and Leonardo Castro. He has since joined bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs.
Ricardo Nascimento: The reliable Brazilian centre-back is one of a long list of South Americans who have played for Sundowns over the years.
He arrived at Chloorkop in 2016 and immediately established himself as a vital cog in central defence. He is also useful with spotkicks where he hardly misses. He has won three league titles.
Sibusiso Vilakazi: Mosimane signed Vila “from Bidvest Wits and he has turned him into a complete attacker who can operate at various roles upfront in the system where Downs normally play without an outright No 9. Vilakazi has won three league titles.
Gaston Sirino: One of the conductors of Sundowns attacking orchestra, together with
Themba Zwane and Vilakazi, in the past season s treble
The Uruguayan is a highly skilful player who gets Downs going whenever he is in the mood. He has won the hearts of the club faithful and three league titles.
Andile Jali: An often chaotic character Jali had a complicated relationship with Mosimane because of his often unprofessional behaviour off the field. But there is no doubt that he is a top-class player when he is in good mental and physical state.
Anele Ngcongca: One of the unsung heroes of the team and a member of the leadership group Ngcongca has gone about his business with no fuss and frills since he joined from Genk in Belgium in 2016. He has proved to be a useful more defensive option when needed at right-back for the more attacking Thapelo Morena.
Thapelo Morena: Arrived at Chloorkop in 2016 from Bloemfontein Celtic and he has pretty much made the right-back position his own. Earlier this year he suffered a careerthreatening
ankle fracture injury but he has recovered.
He came on as a late substitute in the Nedbank Cup final win over Bloemfontein Celtic last month.
Leonardo Castro: He was part of that devastating attacking trio with Dolly and Billiat that destroyed teams on their way to the Caf Champions League win. Like Billiat he has joined Kaizer Chiefs.