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Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Pretoria in the Gauteng province that plays in the Premier Soccer League, the first tier of South African football league system. Founded in the 1970s, the team plays its home games in the Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium.

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Mamelodi Sundowns

Full name	Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club
Nickname(s)	Bafana ba Style Masandawana Ka bo Yellow shoe shine and piano The Brazilians
Short name	Sundowns, SUN, MSD
Founded	1970; 52 years ago (1970)
Ground	Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Capacity	28,900 51,762
Owner	Patrice Motsepe
Chairman	Tlhopie Motsepe
Head coach	Manqoba Mngqithi
League	DStv Premiership
2021–22	1st (champions)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Active departments of Mamelodi Sundowns
Football (Men's)	Football (Youth Mixed)	Football (Women's)

Sundowns have won the Premier League title a record 12 times since its inception in 1996, hold the joint record of 3 National Soccer League Championships and have won 15 league titles in total. It is currently the most successful football club in the South African PSL era. They won the 2016 CAF Champions League, 2017 CAF Super Cup and were voted the 2016 CAF Club of the Year. Domestically, they have also won the Nedbank Cup six times, the MTN 8 four times and the Telkom Knockout four times. They are the first South African team to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they finished in 6th place.

Sundowns is owned by South African business magnate Patrice Motsepe and is one of the most valuable clubs in Africa, by market value.[1] The club's nickname, The Brazilians, is a reference to their soccer kit (blue and yellow) which resembles that of the Brazilian National Team. The club takes pride in its unique style of attacking play, locally dubbed "Shoe Shine & Piano" which includes combinations of quick, short passes on the ground and this is likened to the Spanish Tiki-taka. Over the years, this style of play has been reflected in its Youth teams and Women's football team. In 2021, Sundowns became the first club in Africa to win both CAF Champions League and CAF Women's Champions League titles.In 2022 August 26 it was announced that the club will feature on the upcoming EA FIFA 23.

History

Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club originated around Marabastad, a cosmopolitan area north west of the Pretoria CBD.

The club was originally formed in the early 1960s by a group of friends ( Philanthropist and Businessman Fish Kekana, Dr. Motsiri Itsweng and Dr. Bonnie Sebotsane) among whom were an official football club in 1970.

The club was affiliated to the Federation Professional Football League in 1973 and in the same year reached the finals of the Coca-Cola Cup, where they played against Berea United and lost 5–3.

In 1978, the Federation Professional League threw their weight behind the then National Professional Football League. This meant the end of the Federation Professional League and the subsequent relegation of Sundowns to the second division.

For five years 'Downs battled to gain promotion and during that period the Sundowns' management resolved to disband the club, but instead the club relocated to Mamelodi in the early 1980s.

In 1985, South African football was the first sport to become non-racial and the National Soccer League was formed, incorporating the top clubs in the country.

Sundowns earned promotion to the NPSL in 1983, but in their first season in top-flight football, they found the going difficult until Zola Mahobe came on board in 1985 and appointed Ben Segale as their coach. Under the new owner Mahobe, Sundowns fortunes changed for the better as they began to challenge for top honours in the domestic league. The big spending Sundowns boss recruited the services of elite South African footballers on a quest for supremacy. Mahobe went to Soweto to acquire the services of the highly rated coach Stanley "Screamer" Tshabalala, who was assisting Blackpool at the time, to lead the ambitious Sundowns team. Under the tutelage of Screamer Tshabalala, Sundowns played an entertaining and effective brand of football which became known as "The Shoe Shine and Piano" and won various major trophies in the process to cement the club as one of the powerhouse of the South African football.

In 1988, the ownership of the club fell into the hands of Standard Bank, which repossessed the club from Zola Mahobe. The club went into liquidation and the football family Angelo and Natasha Tsichlas spoke to the bank and saved the club. They then formed a company with Abe Krok and bought 100% of the club. Under the Tsichlas/Krok leadership Sundowns became the best ^[vague] team in South Africa. They won the first NSL League Trophy with Angelo Tsichlas as coach.

Premier Soccer League

National Soccer League was replaced by Premier Soccer League for the 1996–97 season. Sundowns won three consecutive titles from 1998 to 2000 as well as being Bob Save Super Bowl winners in 1998 and Rothmans Cup winners in 1999.

After dominating the local league by winning the league title three times in a row, Sundowns extended their focus to continental glory. In 2001, the club became only the second South African team to reach the prestigious CAF Champions League when they defeated Petro Atlético in the semifinals to reach their first continental cup final. The club reached the final of the 2001 CAF Champions League where they were defeated 4–1 on aggregate by Egyptian club Al Ahly.

Under Tsichlas, the team won more trophies than any other team in South Africa.

In 2004, mining magnate Patrice Motsepe bought a 51% share in the club and later took total control of the club by buying the remaining shares, thus becoming the sole owner and shareholder of the club. Under their new owner, Sundowns picked up their first piece of silverware for six years in May 2006 when co-coaches Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey oversaw Sundowns' triumph in the PSL, the seventh league title in their history.

After a slow start to the 2006–07 season, Gamondi and Tovey were relieved of their positions, and Gordon Igesund took over as head coach. Under Igesund, Sundowns defended their title in emphatic style, running away with the trophy. They failed to win the 'double', losing to Ajax Cape Town in the 2007 ABSA Cup final.

After a stuttering start to the 2009–10 season, an impressive run through the second half of the season saw the club to second position in the final league standings. The club nevertheless parted ways with coach Hristo Stoichkov.

In the 2010–11 season, Antonio Lopez Habas, who was the assistant coach under Stoichkov, took over the reins of the senior team. Sundowns made its best ever start to a League season and topped the league standings at the end of the first round. The second round of the league proved more competitive and Sundowns were in the hunt for the league title until the second last match. Habas resigned in February, citing personal reasons and went back to Spain. Assistant coach Ian Gorowa was appointed as interim head coach.

In 2011 highly rated Dutch tactician Johan Neeskens was appointed as the coach of Sundowns in a bid to awaken the sleeping giant that hadn't won silverware since winning the 2008 Nedbank cup. The Dutch-born coach gave a number of young players from the development team opportunities to impress in the senior team. Even though the Dutch mentor made the team play free-flowing and an entertaining brand of football, his failure to capture silverware led to his demise. In 2012, under the leadership of Neeskens, the club lost the 2012 Nedbank final 2–1 to Tshwane rivals Supersport United. His coaching stint at Chloorkop was short-lived as the impatient and demanding Sundowns supporters exerted pressure to the management to sack him. When the team failed to win the 2012 Telkom Knockout final against Bloemfontein Celtic, Neeskens got sacked as the head coach of the Tshwane-based side as the team was also languishing in the relegation zone.

On 2 December 2012, Pitso Mosimane took over as head coach and under his leadership Mamelodi Sundowns won the 2013/2014, 2015/2016, 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 league titles. Mosimane oversaw the rise of Sundowns to win the CAF Champions League, which was the goal of owner Patrice Motsepe when he bought the club in 2004. In 2017, Sundowns became the second team in South Africa, after Orlando Pirates F.C., to win the CAF Super Cup by defeating TP Mazembe from the DRC.

On 4 March 2012, the team set a remarkable South African record in the Nedbank Cup when they beat Powerlines by a score of 24–0.[2][3]

2016

Sundowns were eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the 2016 CAF Champions League, but were placed back in the competition after Congolese team Vita Club were disqualified from the competition for fielding a suspended player.[4] In their journey for gold, Sundowns opened their campaign with an annulled 2–0 win against Algeria's ES Setif courtesy of Mabunda and Khama Billiat goals.

Despite the disappointment of losing 3 points, that did not halt their performance. On 26 June 2016, they faced Nigeria club Enyimba International F.C. in the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium. They defeated the Nigerians 2–1 with goals from Leonardo Castro and Wayne Arendse in the 42nd and 78th minutes, respectively. Their good form continued to Egypt, defeating Egyptian club Zamalek SC with a goal from Mabunda in the 17th minute, followed by an Ibrahim leveller in the 36th minute, prevailing with a 66th-minute goal from their star player Khama Billiat, which ended the match in favour of the Brazilians 2–1. They repeated this in the 2nd leg by beating the Egyptian club 1–0 with an own goal from Ali Gabr in the 79th minute. The win assured 'Downs a place in the semifinals, but they needed to end their group stage campaign on a high away against Enyimba. Playing with young players, 'Downs succumbed to their first defeat by 3–1 on a rainy slippery field.

In the semifinals, they faced Zambian team ZESCO United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, where they lost to quick succession goals just a minute apart in the 54th and 56th minutes from Mwanza. Billiat netted a goal in the 86th minute to bring the score to 2–1, leaving 'Downs with much to do in the second leg. In the second leg, 'Downs did what was needed of them by winning the match 2–0, thanks to a goal from Liberian Anthony Laffor in the 5th minute and the young Percy Tau in the 64th minute. Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. reached the final of the competition for the first time since the 2001 CAF Champions League final (where they lost to Al Ahly SC). They also reached the 4th final for South African clubs (1 win and 2 losses).

In the final, they beat Egypt's Zamalek SC 3–1 on aggregate, claiming their first-ever continental title and becoming only the second South African team to be crowned champions of Africa.[4]

Honours

Type	Competition	Titles	Seasons
Domestic	Premier Soccer League	12	Winners (12): 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22 Runners-up (3): 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17
	National Soccer League	3S	Winners (3): 1988, 1989–90, 1992–93 Runners-up (2): 1990–91, 1994–95
	Nedbank Cup	6	Winners (6): 1986, 1998, 2008, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2021–22 Runners-up (5): 1989, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011–12
	Telkom Knockout	4	Winners (4): 1990, 1999, 2015, 2019 Runners-up (4): 1997, 1998, 2007, 2012
	MTN 8	4	Winners (4): 1988, 1990, 2007, 2021 Runners-up (6): 1992, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2016
African	CAF Champions League	1	Winners (1): 2016 Runners-up (1): 2001
	CAF Super Cup	1	Winners (1): 2017

•   Record
• ^S Shared record

Individual Awards

• African Club of the Year 2016
• South African team of the year 2016
• PSL team of the season 2015–16, 2013–14

Friendly cup competitions

Shell Helix Cup

Winners : 2018

Telkom Charity Cup

Winners : 1991, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006

Ohlsson's Challenge Cup

Winners : 1988

Performance in CAF Competitions

NB: South African football clubs started participating in CAF Competitions in 1993, after 16 years of being banned from FIFA due to the apartheid system. The ban extended from 1976 to 1992.

• African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League: 15 appearances

The club has 1 appearance in African Cup of Champions Clubs 1994 and 14 appearances in CAF Champions League from 1999 until now. It has also recorded the biggest victory in the CAF Champions League by defeating Seychelles side Côte d’Or, 11–1 at home and 16–1 on aggregate in the first round of the 2019–2020 season.[5]

Year	Best finish
1994	Second Round
1999	Play-offs
2000	Group Stage (Top 4)
2001	Finalist
2006	First Round
2007	Play-offs
2008	Play-offs
2015	First Round
2016	Champion
2017	Quarterfinals
2018	Group Stage
2018–19	Semi final
2019–20	Quarterfinals
2020–21	Quarterfinals
2021–22	Quarterfinals

• CAF Confederation Cup: 4 appearances
• CAF Super Cup: 1 appearance

Year	Best finish
	CAF Confederation Cup	CAF Super Cup
2007	Group Stage	DNQ
2008	Play-offs	DNQ
2009	Second Round	DNQ
2016	Play-offs	DNQ
2017	DNQ	Champion

• CAF Cup: 2 appearances
• African Cup Winners' Cup: 1 appearance

Year	Best finish
	CAF Cup	African Cup winners' Cup
1996	Second Round	DNQ
1998	DNQ	Second Round
2003	Second Round	DNQ

Note

• DNQ - Did Not Qualify
• CAF announced on 24 May 2016 that Mamelodi Sundowns won on walkover after AS Vita Club were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in their preliminary round tie against Mafunzo. Mamelodi Sundowns played in the Confederation Cup play-off round before they were reinstated to the Champions League.[6]

Overall matches

Competition	P	W	D	L	GF	GA
CAF Cup	8	4	1	3	11	7
African Cup Winners' Cup	4	2	1	1	7	3
CAF Champions League	111	57	28	26	175	96
CAF Confederation Cup	16	7	2	7	25	24
CAF Super Cup	1	1	0	0	1	0
Total	140	71	32	37	220	130

As of 9 March 2020

CAF Association ranking for 2019/20

Legend

• CL: CAF Champions League
• CC: CAF Confederation Cup
•   Associations ranked 1–12 and eligible to enter two teams in each CAF tournament (Champions League and Confederation Cup)

Rank	Association	2015 (× 1)		2016 (× 2)		2017 (× 3)		2018 (× 4)		2018–19 (× 5)		Total
		CL	CC	CL	CC	CL	CC	CL	CC	CL	CC
1	Tunisia	0	6	0	3	7	5	9	0	8	6	154
2	Morocco	2	0	4	4	6	3	5	7	5	7	153
3	Egypt	1	6	7	0	7	0.5	5	3	4	5	120.5
4	Algeria	8	0	0	4	4	2	5	2	5	1	92
5	DR Congo	6	0	0	5	1	5	3	4	5	0	87
6	South Africa	0	4	6	0	3	4.5	2	0	6	0	76.5

As of 13 January 2020

Club ranking

Club ranking is used for seeding in the CAF competitions.

Legend

•   Enter 2019–20 CAF Champions League
•   Enter 2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup

Rank	Club	2015 (× 1)	2016 (× 2)	2017 (× 3)	2018 (× 4)	2018–19 (× 5)	Total
1	Espérance de Tunis	0.5	0	3	6	6	63.5
2	TP Mazembe	6	5	5	3	4	63
2	Wydad Casablanca	0	4	6	3	5	63
4	Al-Ahly	3	2	5	5	3	57
5	Étoile du Sahel	5	3	4	3	3	50
6	Mamelodi Sundowns	0	6	3	2	4	49

As of 13 January 2020

Performance in FIFA Club World Cup

• FIFA Club World Cup: 1 appearance

NB: Mamelodi Sundowns is the first football club from Southern Africa to represent CAF in FIFA Club World Cup, following their 2016 CAF Champions League success.

Year	Best finish	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pst
2016	6th Places	2	0	0	2	1	6	-5	0
	Total	2	0	0	2	1	6	-5	0

As of 18 December 2016

Club records

Records

Type	Nat	Name	Records
Most starts		Daniel Mudau	390
Most goals		Daniel Mudau	172
Most capped player		Katlego Mphela	32
Most starts in a season		Themba Mnguni	48 (1997–98)
Most goals in a season		Bennett Masinga	33 (1990)
Record victory		vs Powerlines	24–0 (4 March 2012, Nedbank Cup)
Inter-record victory		vs Al Ahly	5–0 (6 April 2019, CAF Champions League)
Record defeat		vs Africa Sports	1–6 (4 November 2000, CAF Champions League)

Source:[7]

Premier Soccer League record

Season	Pos	Record
		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pst	Nedbank Cup
1996–97	6th	34	13	11	10	35	30	5	50
1997–98	CHAMPIONS	34	19	11	4	48	25	23	68
1998–99	CHAMPIONS	34	23	6	5	70	26	44	75
1999–00	CHAMPIONS	34	23	6	5	68	34	34	75
2000–01	3rd	34	17	8	9	58	32	26	59
2001–02	5th	34	15	11	8	47	32	15	56
2002–03	10th	30	11	6	13	30	30	0	39
2003–04	10th	30	8	12	10	32	32	0	36
2004–05	3rd	30	16	8	6	54	28	26	56
2005–06	CHAMPIONS	30	16	9	5	45	19	26	57
2006–07	CHAMPIONS	30	18	7	5	45	17	28	61
2007–08	4th	30	13	8	9	40	35	5	47
2008–09	9th	30	11	7	12	28	28	0	40
2009–10	2nd	30	16	8	6	43	23	20	56
2010–11	4th	30	18	4	8	52	28	24	58
2011–12	4th	30	14	10	6	44	23	21	52
2012–13	9th	30	9	12	9	31	27	4	39
2013–14	CHAMPIONS	30	20	5	5	51	25	26	65
2014–15	2nd	30	16	9	5	44	24	20	57
2015–16	CHAMPIONS	30	22	5	3	55	20	35	71
2016–17	2nd	30	16	9	5	52	20	32	57
2017–18	CHAMPIONS	30	18	6	6	49	24	25	60
2018–19	CHAMPIONS	30	16	11	3	40	24	16	59
2019–20	CHAMPIONS	30	17	8	5	43	22	21	59
2020-21	CHAMPIONS	30	19	10	1	49	14	35	67
2021-22	CHAMPIONS	30	19	8	3	56	20	36	65
Total	12 Titles	781	410	208	163	1162	644	518

• Orange = In progress
• Gold = Champions
• Silver = Runner up

As of 6 June 2021

Management and staff

Position	Nat.	Name
Owner/President		Tlhopane Motsepe
General Manager
Directors		Rejoice Simelane, Andrew Matube, Andre Wilkens, Sandile Langa
Executive: Legal & Commercial		Yogesh Singh
Supporter Mobilisation Manager		Alex Shakoane
Supporter Co-ordination Manager		Daniel Mudau
Finance Manager
Administration Manager		Belinda Ndlovu
Facilities & Projects Manager
Marketing & Special Projects Manager
Communications Co-ordinator		Mashupie Nkgadima
Supporters Assistant		Daisy Kgopa
Accountant		Jacob Molusi
HR and Administration		Boniface Motsepe
Receptionist		Tina Lesita

Technical team

Position	Nat	Name
Head of Technical Department		José Ramón Alexanko[8]
Head Coach		Manqoba Mngqithi
Assistant Coach		Rulani Mokwena
Senior Coach		Steve Komphela
Team Manager		Peter Ndlovu
Sport Scientist		Vacant
Goalkeeper Coach		Wendell Robinson
Head of Youth Development		Sam Mbatha

Source:[9]

Players

As of 16 August 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ZAM Kennedy Mweene 3 DF  RSA Rushine De Reuck 4 MF  RSA Teboho Mokoena 5 DF  RSA Mosa Lebusa 6 DF  KEN Brian Onyango 7 MF  RSA Lyle Lakay 8 MF  RSA Bongani Zungu 10 FW  URU Gastón Sirino 11 FW  CHI Marcelo Allende 12 FW  RSA Thabiso Kutumela 14 GK  UGA Denis Onyango 15 MF  RSA Andile Jali 17 MF  RSA Aubrey Modiba 18 MF  RSA Themba Zwane 19 MF  RSA Gift Motupa 21 MF  RSA Sphelele Mkhulise 22 FW  RSA Lesedi Kapinga

No. Pos. Nation Player 23 MF  RSA Haashim Domingo 24 MF  RSA Sipho Mbule 25 DF  RSA Khuliso Mudau 27 DF  RSA Thapelo Morena 28 FW  ETH Abubeker Nassir 29 MF  RSA Bradley Ralani 31 FW  RSA Pule Maraisane 32 GK  RSA Ronwen Williams 33 FW  RSA Lebohang Maboe 35 MF  RSA Neo Maema 36 FW  RSA Promise Mkhuma 38 FW  NAM Peter Shalulile 39 MF  BOL Erwin Saavedra 40 DF  RSA Rivaldo Coetzee 41 MF  RSA Mothobi Mvala

Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer

Kit suppliers
Dates	Supplier
1990–1994	Adidas
1994–1996	Puma SE
2004–2008	Diadora
2008–2016	Nike
2016–present	Puma SE

References

External links

• Official website
• Premier Soccer League
• PSL Club Info
• South African Football Association
• Confederation of African Football

На других языках

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- [en] Mamelodi Sundowns F.C.

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[es] Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club

El Mamelodi Sundowns es un club de fútbol de la ciudad de Pretoria en Sudáfrica. Fue fundado en 1970, juega en la Liga Premier de Sudáfrica disputando sus partidos como local en el Estadio Loftus Versfeld.

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[ru] Мамелоди Сандаунз

«Мамелоди Сандаунз» (англ. Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club) — южноафриканский футбольный клуб из Претории, ранее носивший название «Мамелоди Юнайтед». Выступает в Премьер-лиге ЮАР. Домашние матчи проводит на стадионе «Лофтус Версфельд», вмещающем 51 762 зрителей.

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