The Mamelodi Sundowns juggernaut continues to steamroll all in front of it. The Brazilians have been engulfed in Caf Champions League and Nedbank Cup action over the last month, but still remain a point clear at the top of the DStv Premiership with four games in hand. The question remains: can anyone stop the Downs machine? DEAN WORKMAN explores.
The Brazilians last featured in a league game on the 17 February due to continental and local cup commitments. On that day, they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Baroka before their travels on the continent began.
Blessed with an insane amount of quality and depth in their squad, the Chloorkop-based club have made their recent run, and indeed the season overall, look easy.
The team, managed by the co-coaching trio of Manqoba Mngqithi, Rhulani Mokwena and senior assistant Steve Komphela, have lost only once this season. That 1-0 defeat came against Bloemfontein Celtic in their first game of the season in the MTN8, way back on 18 October 2020.
Since that loss, Downs are undefeated winning 10 and drawing six of their first 16 games in the DStv Premiership. Added to that, they have been perfect in the cup competitions winning their first three Champions League games, including a historic win away over TP Mazembe, and easing past their two opponents in the early stages of the Nedbank Cup.
As things stand, the treble winners from 2019-20 are set to again compete on multiple fronts and are certainly one of, if not the, favourites in all the competitions that they remain in.
Of course, the Champions League will prove their biggest test but after their triumph in 2016, the Brazilians have been perennial challengers and will certainly be confident of more success after the quality additions made by the club.
Jody February, Grant Margeman, George Maluleka, Lesedi Kapinga, Ricardo Goss, Haashim Domingo, Gift Motupa, Luvuyo Phewa, Peter Shalulile, Kermit Erasmus, Mothibi Mvala and Aubrey Modiba all joined a squad that had already won three out of the five competitions on offer the previous season, before Rushine De Reuck made a high-profile move in the January transfer window.
Some of these players have hardly featured while integrating into the squad and will be earmarked for the future. But a few – such as Shaluilie, Mvala and Erasmus – have hit the ground running.
An already strong squad, strengthened further by the new arrivals, have been further boosted by the youngsters coming through at the club. Keletso Makgalwa, Promise Mkhuma, Musawenkosi Mduli, Siphesihle Mkhize have all featured this season after making the jump up from the club’s academy.
This powerful squad are being expertly managed by the Sundowns coaching staff, who have managed to prove all the doubters wrong. Many questioned whether having three coaches working together would be to their detriment; instead, they seem to have forged a perfect blend which has allowed Downs to thrive.
The Brazilians possess a squad which are certainly unmatched in Africa, and perhaps even on the continent. They look like they will be able to balance their hectic schedule, which they are very much used to, and romp to success on multiple fronts for a second successive season.
Can anyone stop Sundowns? At the moment, I think not.
