THE BACKPAGE phakaaathi.co.za A ‘well-oiled machine’
COACH MOSIMANE: THIS TEAM IS MORE CONVINCING AND MORE BULLYING
Debate rages over which side was the best of all.
The debate over which Mamelodi Sundowns team should be dubbed the greatest ever has resurfaced following the Brazilians’ scintillating brand of football which should strike fear in just about every opponent who comes their way.
Some claim that the generation who won the league three times in a row between 1997 and 2000 still reigns supreme on that record over the recent group who won the 2015/16 league title with a record-setting 71 points and also won the 2016 Caf Champions League.
Sundowns are currently leading the pack in the Absa Premiership on 34 points and are popular favourites to win it in May as they prepare to visit league rivals Kaizer Chiefs this Saturday. Pitso Mosimane says he has never seen his Masandawana “machine” this well-oiled in his entire tenure at Chloorkop.
“In reality, the team who won the Champions League were the ones who should be on a pedestal until another team does the same,” he said.
“We don’t want to talk about what’s on paper, it should be there on the pitch and we need to beat the 71 points. We need to win the Champions League again and try to win one or two games in the Fifa Club World Cup,” Mosimane added.
“This team has won the Telkom Knockout and the Nedbank Cup. You can only measure that against what has happened before. In my opinion, the team are playing much better.
“I have never seen Sundowns play so well in the five years I have been here. This team is more convincing and more bullying because nobody plays against us.”
Mosimane handed debuts to new recruits Aubrey Ngoma, Jeremy Brockie and Leonardo Sirino – who are expected to fill the shoes of Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly, otherwise known as the “CBD”. Castro and Dolly have since left Sundowns while Billiat’s future remains uncertain as he is yet to pledge his allegiance to Mandawana. Mosimane has said he will not rush the new players.
“They will improve, the quality is good but it is important for me to respect the team who have put us top of the league. They have done well for us. It is competition and the new ones will slowly come in, as long as the quality is good, that’s important.”