Who’s who on the Sundowns bench…

Some were minding their business, others afflicted by Monday blues as a result of their teams’ results from the weekend past, when out of the blue, Mamelodi Sundowns released a statement announcing a reshuffle of their technical team. It speaks to the high standards the club holds itself to, that even as they lie top of the DStv Premiership standings, they see the need to shake things up on their bench, owing to what they term ‘poor performances and unconvincing victories’. The CAF Champions League group stage will be starting in earnest early next year, and this could be seen as the Chloorkop-based outfit getting its house in order in preparation of facing some of Africa’s best clubs yet again after last season’s disappointing quarterfinals exit. To be honest, the Tshwane giants have never really been the same since that exit courtesy of bullish Angolan side Petro de Luanda. The way they finished last season, and the meek manner of their start to 2022/23 would have rung the alarm bells for management. But still, this restructure, in the eyes of many, does not make much sense. In this feature, Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane unpacks it all.