#FootballFocus: Mamelodi Sundowns chase record breaking season

A record-breaking Mamelodi Sundowns team has five games left to confirm their place among the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) all time great teams.

The Brazilians cruised to the title two weekends ago with seven games still to play, clinching their sixth PSL in a row – and 13th overall.

They have been one of the top teams in the competition since it began in 1996, but have been truly dominant over the last 10 years, mostly under the stewardship of Pitso Mosimane.

Despite initial concerns that a change in management in 2020 would lead to issues, head coach Rhulani Mokwena has continued to build on the strong foundations.

Veteran Namibian striker Peter Shalulile has scored 11 goals, while creating a strong partnership with highly-touted winger Cassius Mailula, who is just 21.

Mailula has contributed nine goals of his own to form the deadliest attacking duo in the league.

Right back Thapelo Morena has been the main provider, leading the team with his six assists, while adding to a steadfast defence alongside Ronwen Williams, Aubrey Modiba, Grant Kekana and Mothobi Mvala.

Together they have allowed just nine goals all season, while the strike force has scored 36 at the other end.

They lie 22 points ahead of second place Orlando Pirates and have a chance to take down a number of long-standing PSL records should their form continue.

Since the league narrowed to 16 teams in 2002, the biggest winning margin in a season was 16 points – by Sundowns themselves last year.

The most wins came from the 2015/16 Sundowns team who delivered 22, claiming the current record points total of 71 that same season.

As it stands, the current Sundowns team sits on 61 points (with 15 still up for grabs) and 19 wins.

They have a relatively easy run-in too, with four of their remaining five games coming against bottom-half opposition in Richards Bay (9th), AmaZulu (12th), Gallants (15th) and Maritzburg United (16th).

Only seventh placed Golden Arrows should conceivably provide a real challenge.

It will be a personal battle to stay motivated for the players who have little else to play for in the PSL at this point.

But should they win at least four of those fixtures, they will be immortalised as the best team in PSL history, at least as far as the statistics show.

Elsewhere, they have a chance to make it a truly historic season, with quarter-final clashes in the Nedbank Cup and CAF Champions League still to play this month.

The Nedbank Cup is the premier knockout competition in South Africa and the CAF Champions League is the main inter-continental competition for Africa’s top leagues.

Sundowns have only tasted continental glory once in 2016 and will be chasing a second title to crown a perfect season.

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