THE REST OF the Betway Premiership teams better be prepared to eat Mamelodi Sundowns’ dust yet again. How else can they begin to stop the high-flying Brazilians who are clearly of such high quality they can hold their own against the world’s best?
Sundowns may have lost 4-3 to Germany’s Borussia Dortmund in their second Group F match at the FIFA Club World Cup currently on the go in the United States. But such was their performance against a much superior opponent there is every reason to foresee them dominating the domestic league yet again.
Having won the local championship an eighth time in a row, Sundowns will be the team to beat yet again when the new season kicks off in August. The hope was that they will be properly challenged, with many of the view that perennial bridesmaids Orlando Pirates would run them close if not usurp them from the top perch.
The Buccaneers were competitive last season and could – as per their former coach Jose Riveiro – have seriously challenged for the title had the teams played matches at the same time. That could well be, but the reality is that Sundowns were a cut above everyone yet again.
What are the chances of the status quo changing in the 2025/26 campaign? Highly unlikely, at least based on how Sundowns have fared in the States so far.
While they only beat South Korea’s Ulsan 1-0 in their opening match, Sundowns were never in any danger of losing that match and were actually so in control that they could have won at a canter – scorer Iqraam Rayners having found the net on two other occasions.
It was the second match against Dortmund that illustrated the Brazilians’ class which is sure to take a lot from Pirates and the rest of the Premiership to bridge.
The reality of that encounter is that Sundowns were the underdogs, The Yellow Submarine’s quality and experience much superior. But an uninformed observer would not have told this much – at least not in the initial quarter-hour of the match when they dominated possession and even took the lead through a super goal by Lucas Ribeiro who’d been set on goal by a brilliant pass from Tashreeq Matthews who was evidently out to show his former club what they’d lost out on.
What impressed me the most though was how Sundowns did not drop their heads after making uncharacteristic mistakes of literally giving Dortmund the equalizer as well as two other goals for the Germans to rush into a 4-1 lead by the hour mark.
The fighting spirit, the tenacity and will they showed to reduce the deficit to the respectable level it ended at was uncharacteristic of South African teams usually renowned for their capitulation in such instances. It is a well they are sure to know to dip into next time, particularly in the CAF Champions League they are so keen to win yet again. Domestically, there just is no team that will be able to contend with Sundowns should they go into that mode.
Granted, the likes of Pirates, Stellenbosch FC and perhaps Kaizer Chiefs, would have seen how Sundowns struggle with dealing with the high-press that Dortmund employed and they will seek to use that when they are next on the pitch with the record PSL champions. Yet it is difficult to imagine any of them forcing Sundowns into the kind of errors Dortmund did.
Three of the German’s goals were a result of their pressure on Sundowns, Ronwen Williams’ passing the ball to sdfsdfdsa as he looked to play from the back as Sundowns typically do.
Dortmund’s second goal came about because they closed down Teboho Mokoena quickly before he could settle on the ball, something none of the PSL clubs do.
In the domestic game, the Sundowns right backs are hardly ever forced into making last ditch tackles or clearances, a Khuliso Mudau for example almost always enjoying forays into the opposition halves instead of being on the backfoot. Dortmund got the right back to working hard Saturday evening and even forced him into scoring an own goal, sdfsdf Svensson
As Sundowns sharpen themselves against world class opposition on the biggest stage of them all, their local adversaries are getting ready for pre-season training camps against ordinary opposition in Europe. Pirates, for example, are yet to announce who their new coach will be, and – even if it were to be Rulani Mokwena who knows Sundowns and the domestic scene pretty well – they just don’t have the quality squad to match the Brazilians.
Chiefs were pathetic in the previous campaign and while the decision to keep Nasredinne Nabi on as their coach might ensure some continuity, it is literally a continuation from zero given how far adrift they were from Sundowns in the league. And the signings they have made – bringing in a duo of free agents from Pirates for example – does not speak to a club intent on stopping a marauding opponent from dominating the league yet again.
We must, therefore, brace ourselves for yet another Sundowns championship victory because just on the strength of their showing at the FIFA Club World Cup, the Brazilians are sure to walk to a ninth successive league title next season.
