“No Team Wins Forever”: Motsepe’s Classy Admission As Sundowns’ Dynasty Teeters
Thlopie Motsepe, chairman of Mamelodi Sundowns, says the growing competitiveness in South African football should be embraced, insisting that no team can dominate forever without strong rivals continually raising the standard.
The Brazilians concluded their Betway Premiership campaign under pressure following a difficult end to the season, with their title hopes no longer entirely in their own hands. Sundowns remain top of the standings with 68 points after recording 20 wins, eight draws, and two defeats throughout the campaign.
Their latest setback came against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday night, while their only other league defeat this season came against Golden Arrows in one of the campaign’s biggest upsets.
Despite still leading the table, Sundowns are not yet guaranteed the title, with second-placed Orlando Pirates trailing by just three points with two matches remaining. Pirates would need only one victory from their remaining fixtures to potentially overtake Sundowns.
If Sundowns fail to win the league, it would mark the first time since the 2012/13 season that they finish without lifting a Premier Soccer League trophy. The Tshwane giants have already missed out on the MTN8, Carling Knockout, and Nedbank Cup titles, while their hopes of securing a historic ninth consecutive league crown remain under threat.
However, the club still has an opportunity to salvage the season when they face Moroccan giants AS FAR in the CAF Champions League final over two legs later this month.
Speaking after the match at Mbombela Stadium, Motsepe admitted Sundowns had expected a challenging season from the outset and credited rival clubs for raising the overall quality of the league.
“Our coaches said at the beginning of the season that this was going to be a very tough campaign,” Motsepe told SuperSport TV.
“There are many reasons why it has been difficult. From a Mamelodi Sundowns perspective, people may point to issues such as fatigue from participating in the Club World Cup.
“But, honestly, credit must go to the competition and the teams around us for raising the bar and improving the standards. There are many teams in this league that delivered very strong performances against us.
“For us, competition is always welcome. These are the moments that remind you that opponents help make you better.
“It is the same in global football. You never see one team winning forever without competition. There are always rivals pushing them to improve, and that is one of the reasons we can be proud because we have had genuine competition, and we acknowledge that.
“As I said, there are still games remaining for other teams, but we can hold our heads high knowing we gave our best. Now we must focus on our next very important match next week.”
Motsepe also reflected on the conclusion of Sundowns’ league campaign and thanked the PSL leadership, supporters, and everyone involved for what he described as a demanding but exciting season.
“Of course, this was Mamelodi Sundowns’ final game of the Betway Premiership season, and usually at this stage we are fortunate enough to celebrate a trophy with our supporters,” he added.
“The league is not over yet, but our campaign has ended, and when you reflect on it, it is important to show gratitude. It has been a long, exciting, and highly competitive season, and credit must go to all the teams that pushed us throughout this campaign.
“We must also thank the league leadership, including Irvin Khoza and our CEO, Mato Madlala, for producing such an exciting product.
“We also thank our supporters for standing by us throughout the season. We would have loved to celebrate something special with them at the end of the campaign, but now it is up to us to bring energy and joy through the Champions League.”
The Brazilians will now shift their focus to the CAF Champions League final against AS FAR, with the first leg scheduled for Sunday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium before the decisive return leg in Morocco next weekend.
