Mamelodi Sundowns did not need to kick a ball to secure their sixth consecutive Premier Soccer League (PSL) title after second placed Supersport United drew their match with Chippa United. The champions were busy in the CAF Champions League where they beat Cameroonian football club Coton 2-1 to continue their excellent group stage form. Sundowns required just 23 games in the season to clinch the title, beating their own record of 25 set during the 2006/07 season. The Pretoria based side has made light work of the PSL season despite one eye being on the continental CAF title. Once they held 20 point lead over the chasing teams it was just a matter of when they would clinch the title. The success of the Patrice Motsepe owned team has garnered plenty of criticism as rival players say that teams in the league are not on an even playing field due to the financial resources of the Sundowns billionaire owner.
When Sundowns recently played against one of the traditional powerhouses of South African, Kaizer Chiefs, their bench included stars like Lesedi Kapinga, Mosa Lebusa and Rivaldo Coetzee. This was an embarrassment of riches for the glamour boys but perhaps the biggest talking point was that they still outclassed Chiefs without needing to call on these players. There is constant talk of Sundowns being the Manchester City of local football due to their never ending financial resources. Some of the team’s former players have defended the criticism saying that all teams have an equal opportunity to sign players but it’s their talent scouts and recruitment team that is a class above their peers. There is truth to this statement as Sundowns has quietly gone about building the most formidable team of the PSL era. Their success was not built overnight but gradually they laid the foundation of which they are now reaping the rewards.
The last team to enjoy success anywhere close to Sundowns was Supersport United when they won three consecutive titles from 2008-2010. The irony of this is that many of that championship winning players from those three seasons were eventually bought by Sundowns which was a sign of things to come. Even more alarmingly for the local football fraternity is that the last team to win the league before Sundowns six years of success was Wits University in 2017 and they are no longer a registered team after being disbanded due to financial issues. It does not take rocket science to realize that the other teams need to close the gap on Sundowns in the coming seasons to maintain interest in the PSL or risk the league turning into a contest for second place. Soweto giants Chiefs and Orlando Pirates are the two teams that have the financial muscle to compete with Sundowns and it is hoped they can get their acts together to make the league competitive again.
