Pretoria - Mamelodi Sundowns’ ascension to the pinnacle of the South African top-flight was not without hiccups. However, like the PSL champions that they really are, the Brazilians produced superb displays throughout their campaign. Here are five defining moments ...
1 The turnaround victory
Sundowns had a bad start to the season. Against Ajax Cape Town at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on September 23, some of their fans were ready to pelt coach Pitso Mosimane. With a few minutes left and the score tied at 2-2, there was a song sung in the stands: “ Ka jeno ro koba Pitso” – loosely translated to “we are going to fire Pitso”.
Mosimane and Co were bracing themselves for a horrific night, but Liberian international Anthony Laffor scored a last-minute goal to save “Bra Jingles” from the firing squad and hand the Brazilians victory. That win marked an unbeaten run of 19 matches.
2 Beating the big boys
Besides a 1-0 loss to Mpumalanga Black Aces, Sundowns did not suffer a defeat at the hands of their fellow title contenders. However, they beat Aces 2-1 in the reverse fixture.
The Brazilians beat Orlando Pirates 2-0 and 2-1 and while they were held to a goalless draw by Kaizer Chiefs first time out, they subjected Amakhosi to a 3-1 thrashing in their second encounter.
Sundowns twice hammered SuperSport United 2-0. They also beat Wits 4-2, and drew 0-0 against Platinum Stars.
That Mosimane’s men were able to hold their own against the big guns worked in their favour. It gave them the belief that they were the best, and they indeed finished as such.
3 “CBD”
The attacking trio of Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly did wonders for Sundowns. Inspired by Barcelona’s “MSN” (Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar), “CBD” grew in confidence to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents.
They account for most of the Brazilians’ goals and assists this season, and the moment they established fluidity as a unit, the Pretoria outfit became almost unstoppable.
4 Brilliant Billiat
Though football is a team sport, more often than not there’s one player who pops up to lead his side to glory. Billiat was such a player.
In the beginning, the Zimbabwean had his sights on winning the Golden Boot award, but Mosimane had a word with him. And once the enigmatic coach told the 25-year-old to drop his pursuit for personal glory, things turned around for Sundowns.
He created and scored crucial goals for the Brazilians, and his assists were sometimes out of this world. Mosimane’s expertise and experience in getting his best player to play for his teammates proved his tactical nouse.
5 The Sea of Yellow
Sundowns supporters are among the toughest to please, but the Ka bo yellow were outstanding throughout the season. While they could be faulted for demanding Mosimane’s head earlier on, they repented and started singing uplifting songs about him and his charges.
What’s amazing about Sundowns fans is that they don’t use vuvuzelas. They will sing non-stop for 90 minutes. One of the greatest sights this season was when they sang in the rain to inspire their team.
Even when Sundowns suffered their biggest defeat – 3-1 to Bloemfontein Celtic – they sang as if they had won. They lost the battle but ultimately won the war. Ka bo yellow! - Cape Times