Mamelodi Sundowns FC
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Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club (simply known as Sundowns) is a South African professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in Mamelodi,
Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...
in the
Gauteng Gauteng ( , ; Sotho-Tswana languages, Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; or ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Situated on the Highveld, Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa. Although Gauteng accounts f ...
province that plays in the Premiership, the first tier of South African football league system. Founded in the 1970s, the team plays its home games in the
Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby stadium situated in the suburb of Arcadia, city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, owned by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. The stadium can accommodate 51,762 spectators. The stadium is the ...
. They won the 2016
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
, 2017
CAF Super Cup The CAF Super Cup, known as TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual African association football competition contested between the winners of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The competition was f ...
and were voted the 2016 CAF Club of the Year. As of 2025, it is the most successful football club in the South African
PSL PSL may refer to: Sport *Pakistan Super League, a Twenty20 cricket league *Palau Soccer League, top division association football league in Palau *Pilipinas Super League, a professional basketball league *Philippine Super Liga, a defunct profes ...
era with 15 league titles. Domestically, they have also won the
Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, premier club association football, soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of gi ...
six times, the
MTN 8 The MTN 8 is a South African soccer single-elimination tournament, cup competition launched in 1972 for teams who finished in the top 8 positions of the league table of the country's preceding season of the top-flight league (currently the Sout ...
four times and the
Telkom Knockout The Carling Knockout Cup is a South African professional soccer knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premiership. The Carling Knockout Cup is the third of the three main cups administered by the PSL along with ...
four times. They are the first South African team to compete in the
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
, where they finished in 6th place. In 2021, Sundowns became the first club in Africa to win both
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
and
CAF Women's Champions League The CAF Women's Champions League (; ), sometimes abbreviated as ''CAF WCL'', is an annual African women's association football club competition launched on 12 September 2020 and organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It is ...
titles. In 2023, Sundowns was crowned champions of the inaugural African Football League. Sundowns is owned by South African business magnate
Patrice Motsepe Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe (born 28 January 1962) is a South African billionaire businessman and football administrator. Patrice Motsepe was born to Kgosi Augustine Motsepe, a chief of the Mmakau branch of the Tswana people. Since March 2021, ...
and is one of the most valuable clubs in Africa, with a market value of €29 million as of the 2023-24 season. 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 and Total Football. Over the years, this style of play has been reflected in its youth teams and women's football team.


History


1964–1970: Beginnings

Sundowns Football Club originated around
Marabastad Marabastad (also called Asiatic Bazaar or Location) is a business area to the west of the city centre of Pretoria, South Africa. The original ''Maraba Village'', situated just to the south of the present Marabastad, was founded and ruled by the ...
, a cosmopolitan area north west of the
Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Pretoria strad ...
CBD in the early sixties, where it was formed by a group of youngsters residing in the area. The club mentions individuals such as Frank "ABC" Motsepe, Roy Fischer, Ingle Singh and
Bernard Hartze Bernard “Dancing Shoes” Hartze (born 5 March 1950 - dead 16 January 2024) is a South African retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played in several leagues in South Africa and the United States. Early on, Hartze wa ...
and as part of its founding young stars. The newly established team was named Marabastad Sundowns after an amateur club called Sundowns, which existed in the 1940s, also formed in Marabastad. In 1969, Ingle "Jinx" Sigh, one of the founding players for Sundowns and later owner of both Marabastad Sundowns and Pretoria City (which later became SuperSport United F.C.), decided to sell the club to Dr. Bonny Sebotsane, Dr. Motsiri Itsweng and philanthropist Joseph Ntshimane "Fish" Kekana. The club was moved to the nearby township of Mamelodi and was officially established and renamed as Mamelodi Sundowns in 1970.


1970–1988: Zola Mahobe, Stan Tshabalala and the "Mr Cool" Years

The club was affiliated with 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, Sundowns joined the National Professional Soccer League after the merger of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
and the previous iteration of the National Professional Soccer League. This meant Sundowns played in the second division of the new league. For five years 'Downs battled to gain promotion and managed to earn its place in the NPSL in 1983, but in their first season in top-flight football, they found the going difficult. During that period, Sundowns' management resolved to disband the club, until new owner
Zola Mahobe Daniel Zola Mahobe (1954 – 14 December 2013) was a South African businessman and former owner of Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. from 1985 to 1988. Mahobe played a pivotal role in transforming Mamelodi Sundowns into one of South Africa’s top profe ...
came on board in 1985. In the same year, 1985, South African football was the first sport in the country to become non-racial and the
National Soccer League The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...
was formed, incorporating the top clubs in the country, including Sundowns. Dave Barber was in charge at the start of the new
National Soccer League The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...
era but his tenure came to a swift end after the club found itself at the foot of the table and Zola Mahobe appointed Walter da Silver. Da Silver later quit after 5 games before the end of the season, claiming that Mahobe was interfering in team selection.
Zola Mahobe Daniel Zola Mahobe (1954 – 14 December 2013) was a South African businessman and former owner of Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. from 1985 to 1988. Mahobe played a pivotal role in transforming Mamelodi Sundowns into one of South Africa’s top profe ...
appointed Ben Segale as the coach, and the team ended the 1985 season in a flourish by winning the last 4 games to finish 11th place, which was a big improvement on their previous two top flight seasons. Under 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, and changed their kit to resemble that of the Brazilian national team, earning them their nickname, "the Brazilians". 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." By the end of 1986, the club had won the Mainstay cup in a 1-0 brawl against
Jomo Cosmos Jomo Cosmos is a South African soccer club based in Johannesburg that plays in the ABC Motsepe League. The club is owned and coached by South African football legend Jomo Sono. At the end of the 2021–22 National First Division season, the ...
in Ellis Park and goalkeeper, Mark Anderson was voted Footballer of the Year as new players kept arriving. The next season, they finished third in the league, just three points behind champions Cosmos. Sundowns were flying in 1988, with a victory against cross-town rivals Arcadia in the final of BP Top Eight Cup, and then later beating them again for the Ohlsson's Challenge Cup. Despite winning two trophies that year, trouble was brewing in the camp when players, led by Anderson demanded the resignation of coach Tshabalala and his assistant Trot Moloto. Stan resigned from his position, with a record of 54 wins, 29 draws and 25 losses. Captain, Mike Ntombela took charge over the club for four games while the management looked for a coach. In the same year, the ownership of the club fell into the hands of Standard Bank, which repossessed the club from
Zola Mahobe Daniel Zola Mahobe (1954 – 14 December 2013) was a South African businessman and former owner of Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. from 1985 to 1988. Mahobe played a pivotal role in transforming Mamelodi Sundowns into one of South Africa’s top profe ...
after his conviction for fraud. 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 Krok brothers and bought 100% of the club.


1988–1995: Tsichlas/Krok leadership and First Championship

Chilean coach, Mario Tuane and his assistant Angelo Tsichlas took charge of a club at the top of the table and led it to its first league championship. There were rapturous celebrations at
HM Pitje Stadium HM Pitje Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Mamelodi, a suburb of the City of Tshwane, South Africa. It was used mostly for soccer matches and was utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup afte ...
after Sundowns gained an unassailable point lead over Cosmos. However, the club could not defend the Ohlsson's challenge and BP Top Eight crowns and the Tuane era came to an end, with Angelo Tsichlas taking charge of the team as a caretaker coach until the club appointed
Trott Moloto Trott Nchilo Moloto (born 19 July 1956 in Pietersburg) is a South African Association football coach. Coaching career Among others, he previously coached South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns, Maritzburg United and also had a stint at Tanzania ...
, and shortly after Stan Lapot. In the '89 season, Sundowns went on a 7-game unbeaten run in the league, but could only win one of their last 6 matches in the league, which ended the club's season at position 5. This prompted the return of Stan Tshabalala, who took the team to the top of the table again in 1990. Sundowns only lost 2 league games during the campaign and won its first treble, managing to win the Top Eight Cup and the JPS Knockout Cup against Orlando Pirates with a 2–1 scoreline in the final. This success was followed by a season of heartbreaking losses in 1991, with the team finishing second place in the league and failing to get into any cup final. 1992 was similar under Augusto Palacios, when Sundowns lost both the Top Eight cup and Castle Challenge to rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates respectively, finishing 6th in the league.
Jeff Butler Jeff Butler (born February 26, 1958, in Madison, Wisconsin) is an American illustrator and comic book artist. He worked with the art department of TSR, Inc. for five years, illustrating products for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-pl ...
was appointed as the coach in 1993 after being turfed in a dispute with
Bafana Bafana The South Africa national soccer team represents South Africa in men's international soccer and is run by the South African Football Association, the governing body for soccer in South Africa. Nicknamed Bafana Bafana (The Boys in Zulu), the ...
. He led the club to a 3rd league title win in a close 3 point race against Moroka Swallows and a 4th place league finish in the following year. Sundowns qualified for a continental title for the first time in the 1994
African Cup of Champions Clubs The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) a ...
but lost to
AS Vita Club Association Sportive Vita Club, more commonly known as AS Vita Club, AS V. Club or simply Vita Club, is a Congolese professional football club based in Kinshasa. History AS Vita Club was founded in 1935 by Honoré Essabe under the name of ''Rena ...
in the second round.


1995–2004: Premier Soccer League and the Ted Dimitru era

The
National Soccer League The National Soccer League (NSL) was the top-level soccer league in Australia, run by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL, the A-League's predecessor, spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977 until its ...
was replaced by the Premiership, administered by the
Premier Soccer League The Premier Soccer League (PSL) is the administrative body for professional soccer leagues and cups in South Africa. It is based in Johannesburg, and was founded in 1996 following an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnant ...
, for the 1996–97 season. After a flurry of coaches and players came, went, and a third Stan Tshabalala stint in unsuccessful '96 and '97 campaigns, Sundowns signed Raphael Chukwu from Nigerian club, Shooting Stars S.C. and appointed
Ted Dumitru Theodore "Ted" Dumitru (born Dumitru Teodorescu; 2 September 1939 – 26 May 2016) was a Romanian football manager who is best known for his time in South Africa. Dumitru was one of few coaches who have led South Africa's 'big three' clubs ...
as head coach in July 1997. Raphael's partnership with Daniel Mudau proved to be prolific in front of posts. Backed up by a super team of standout players such as Joel Masilela, Alex Bapela, Isaac Shai, Roger Feutmba and goalkeeper John Tlale amongst others, Sundowns went on to win three consecutive league titles from 1998 to 2000 as well as being Bob Save Super Bowl winners in 1998 and Rothmans Cup winners in 1999. In 2001, Sundowns focused their efforts on continental glory and became only the second South African team to reach the prestigious
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
Final when they defeated Petro Atlético in the semifinals. The club played the
2001 CAF Champions League The 2001 CAF Champions League was the 37th awarding of Africa's premier club football tournament prize organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 5th prize under the CAF Champions League format. In the knockout stage, was ...
Final where they were defeated 4–1 on aggregate by Egyptian club
Al Ahly Al-Ahly Sporting Club (), commonly known as Al-Ahly, is an Egyptian professional sports club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is mainly known for its professional football team which currently plays in the Egyptian Premier League, the highest ...
. The club underwent a period of rebuilding after the 1999/2000 season, enduring a period of bad performances in league and cup matches. Sundowns finished 3rd in the 2001/02 season, 10th in the 2002/03 season, 5th in the 2003/04 season and again 3rd in the 2004/05 season.


2004-present: Patrice Motsepe ownership

In 2004, mining magnate
Patrice Motsepe Patrice Tlhopane Motsepe (born 28 January 1962) is a South African billionaire businessman and football administrator. Patrice Motsepe was born to Kgosi Augustine Motsepe, a chief of the Mmakau branch of the Tswana people. Since March 2021, ...
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 Gordon Igesund (born 22 July 1956) is a former South African football player and coach who was most recently the manager of Highlands Park in the Premier Soccer League. Early life Igesund was born in Durban to George Norman Igesund (born 193 ...
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 Cape Town Spurs F.C. (formerly known as Ajax Cape Town) is a South African professional football club based in Parow in the city of Cape Town that plays in the National First Division. Dutch Eredivisie club AFC Ajax was their parent club and ma ...
in the 2007 ABSA Cup final. A stuttering start to the 2009–10 season saw an impressive run through the second half of the season which propelled the club to second position in the final league standings. The club nevertheless parted ways with coach
Hristo Stoichkov Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov (; born 8 February 1966) is a Bulgarian former professional Association football, footballer and current football commentator for TUDN. A prolific Forward (association football), forward, he is widely regarded as the g ...
. 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 RCH may stand for: * Radio Club de Honduras, an amateur radio organization * Railway Clearing House, the British financial clearing house and technical standards bureau for railways * The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal), a unit of the Canadian ...
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. On 4 March 2012, under the leadership of Neeskens, the team set a remarkable South African record in the
Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, premier club association football, soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of gi ...
when they beat Powerlines by a score of 24–0. The club went on to lose the 2012 Nedbank Cup final 2–1 to Tshwane rivals
Supersport United SuperSport United Football Club (often known as SuperSport) is a South African professional association football, football club based in Atteridgeville in Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The team currently plays in the South African Premier Di ...
. 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 Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club (simply known as Celtic) is a South African soccer club based in Bloemfontein. Bloemfontein Celtic had a large fan base in the Free State and competed in the Premiership before selling their status to Royal ...
, Neeskens was sacked as head coach of the Tshwane-based side with the team languishing in the relegation zone.


2012–2019: The Pitso Mosimane Era

On 2 December 2012, Pitso Mosimane took over as head coach and guided a turbulent Sundowns season to 9th place in the league. The 2013/14 season began on a better note, with a 6-game unbeaten streak including a 7-1 thumping of AmaZulu F.C. at home. However, in the mid-season, team performances became inconsistent and Sundowns found itself 11 points behind log leaders Kaizer Chiefs. There was still positivity in the camp however, and Mosimane was confident about a good end to the season. On 9 March 2014, Sundowns began an 11-game unbeaten streak that would end in an emphatic league title win after a 6-year trophy drought. The acquisition of Khama Billiat in August 2013, Keagan Dolly and Leonardo Castro in the 2014/15 season bolstered the Sundowns attacking order that was backed by Hlompho Kekana, Samuel Mabunda, Themba Zwane, Teko Modise and academy wonder Percy Tau. The team finished 2nd in the league in the 2014 season, but won both the
Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, premier club association football, soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of gi ...
and
Telkom Knockout The Carling Knockout Cup is a South African professional soccer knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premiership. The Carling Knockout Cup is the third of the three main cups administered by the PSL along with ...
. This would begin an era dominance in the league and Sundowns won the 2015/2016, 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 league titles on the trot. 2015/16 was a record breaking season, which saw Sundowns become the first team to break the 70 point ceiling in the league since the South African top flight league became a 16-team league system. In 2017, Mosimane oversaw Sundowns' first CAF Champions League win, which was the goal of owner Patrice Motsepe when he bought the club in 2004. Sundowns were eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the
2016 CAF Champions League The 2016 CAF Champions League (officially the 2016 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 20th editio ...
, but were placed back in the competition after Congolese team Vita Club were disqualified from the competition for fielding a suspended player. In their journey for gold, Sundowns opened their campaign with an annulled 2–0 win against
Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
's ES Setif courtesy of Mabunda and Khama Billiat goals.


2016 CAF Champions Win

On 26 June 2016, they faced
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
club Enyimba International F.C. at
Lucas Moripe Stadium Lucas "Masterpieces" Moripe Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Atteridgeville, a township (South Africa), township of Pretoria, South Africa. With a capacity to host 28,900 spectators, it is currently used mostly for Association footb ...
. 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 Zamalek Sporting Club (), commonly referred to as Zamalek, is an List of football clubs in Egypt, Egyptian Club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is best known for its professional men's Association football, football team, which plays in the Egy ...
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 An own goal occurs in sports when a player performs actions that result in scoring points for the opposition, such as when a Association football, footballer puts a ball into their own net. In some parts of the world, the term has become a met ...
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 ZESCO United Football Club (simply often known as ZESCO) is a Zambian professional football club based in Ndola, that competes in the Zambia Super League. Founded in 1974, the team plays its home matches at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. The club i ...
at the
Levy Mwanawasa Stadium The Levy Mwanawasa Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Ndola, Zambia. It is used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home for ZESCO United F.C., ZESCO United. Other Ndola-based clubs like Forest Rangers F.C. and Buildcon F ...
, 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 Anthony Snoti Laffor (born 17 February 1985) is a Liberian professional Association football, footballer who last played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger for South African side Chippa United FC, Chippa United. Club career Born in Monrovia, Laff ...
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 The 2001 CAF Champions League was the 37th awarding of Africa's premier club football tournament prize organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 5th prize under the CAF Champions League format. In the knockout stage, was ...
final (where they lost to
Al Ahly SC Al-Ahly Sporting Club (), commonly known as Al-Ahly, is an List of football clubs in Egypt, Egyptian professional sports club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is mainly known for its professional Association football, football team which curren ...
). They also reached the 4th final for South African clubs (1 win and 2 losses). In the final, they beat Egypt's
Zamalek SC Zamalek Sporting Club (), commonly referred to as Zamalek, is an List of football clubs in Egypt, Egyptian Club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is best known for its professional men's Association football, football team, which plays in the Egy ...
3–1 on aggregate, claiming their first-ever continental title and becoming only the second South African team to be crowned champions of Africa, after Orlando Pirates. Sundowns went on to win the 2017 CAF Super Cup in
Loftus Versfeld Stadium Loftus Versfeld Stadium is a rugby stadium situated in the suburb of Arcadia, city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, owned by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union. The stadium can accommodate 51,762 spectators. The stadium is the ...
by defeating
TP Mazembe Tout Puissant Mazembe, commonly referred to as TP Mazembe, is a Congolese professional association football, football club based in Lubumbashi. History Tout Puissant Mazembe, the first sports club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a ...
from the DRC in the same season. The club made the bold signings of Gaston Sirino from Bolivar and an ailing Rivaldo Coetzee in 2018. Despite losing a number of valuable players in the previous season, the club maintained good performances in domestic cups, winning a domestic treble (league,
Telkom Knockout The Carling Knockout Cup is a South African professional soccer knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premiership. The Carling Knockout Cup is the third of the three main cups administered by the PSL along with ...
and
Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, premier club association football, soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of gi ...
) in the 2018/19 season.


2020-present: Rhulani Mokwena & Manqoba Mngqithi

In 2020, the team underwent changes in coaching personnel for the first time in almost 7 years and an influx of new players after the departure of Pitso Mosimane. The club appointed former assistant coaches, Rhulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi as joint Head Coaches with the opinion of Manqoba Mngithi prevailing when there isn't consensus. The club's board was keen on appointing South African coaches, and later appointed
Steve Komphela Steve Komphela (born 1 July 1967) is a South African football coach and a former player who is the manager of South African Premier Soccer League club Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. Early life Steve was born in Golden Valley farm, 20 km outside K ...
as a senior coach to assist the coaching pair. The trio saw off a season which saw the rise of new top scoring marksman, Peter Shalulile and standout signings such as
Neo Maema Neo Maema (born 1 December 1995) is a South African professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for South African Premier Division side Mamelodi Sundowns. Career Maema started his career at Bloemfontein Celtic aged 22. After ...
, Rushine De Reuck amongst many others. The club celebrated a successful 5th consecutive league win and a
Nedbank Cup The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's Premier Soccer League, premier club association football, soccer knockout tournament. While many formats have been used over the years, the tournament has always been based on the idea of gi ...
which showed that the club was heading in a good direction. 2021/22 was another record breaking league season played under Covid restrictions.


Honours

* * Shared record


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(5): 1991, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006 Carling Black Label Cup *Winners:
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
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 The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
due to the apartheid system. The ban extended from 1976 to 1992. *
African Cup of Champions Clubs The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) a ...
/
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
: 17 appearances The club has 1 appearance in
African Cup of Champions Clubs The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual club football competition organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) a ...
1994 and 16 appearances in
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
from 1999 until now. It has also recorded the biggest victory in the
CAF Champions League The CAF Champions League, known for sponsorship purposes as the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and formerly the African Cup of Champions Clubs, is an annual football club (association football), club football competition organized by the Conf ...
by defeating Seychelles side
Côte d'Or Côte Restaurants Group Limited, trading as Côte (formerly Côte Brasserie), stylised as CÔTE is a French-style British restaurant chain founded by Richard Caring, Andy Bassadone, Chris Benians and Nick Fiddler in Wimbledon, London Wimbl ...
, 11–1 at home and 16–1 on aggregate in the first round of the 2019–2020 season. *
CAF Confederation Cup The CAF Confederation Cup, known as the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for sponsorship purposes, is an annual association football football team, club competition established in 2004 and organized by Confederation of African Football, CAF ...
: 4 appearances *
CAF Super Cup The CAF Super Cup, known as TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual African association football competition contested between the winners of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. The competition was f ...
: 1 appearance *
CAF Cup The CAF Cup was an annual competition organised by the CAF for domestic leagues runners-up of member associations who have not qualified to one of the two pre-existing CAF international club competitions the African Cup of Champions Clubs or t ...
: 2 appearances *
African Cup Winners' Cup The African Cup Winners' Cup was a football competition that started in 1975 and merged with the CAF Cup in 2004 to form the CAF Confederation Cup. It was a competition between the winning clubs of domestic cups in CAF-affiliated nations and w ...
: 1 appearance ;Note * DNQ – Did not qualify * CAF announced on 24 May 2016 that Mamelodi Sundowns won on walkover after
AS Vita Club Association Sportive Vita Club, more commonly known as AS Vita Club, AS V. Club or simply Vita Club, is a Congolese professional football club based in Kinshasa. History AS Vita Club was founded in 1935 by Honoré Essabe under the name of ''Rena ...
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.


Overall matches


Club ranking

The club ranking is used for seeding in the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup. Pending equality in ranking points, the team receiving more points in the previous season is considered as the higher-ranked team. The club ranking for the
2024–25 CAF Champions League The 2024–25 CAF Champions League, officially the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons, was the 61st season of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the 29th ...
and the 2024–25 CAF Confederation Cup is be based on results from each CAF club competition from the 2019–20 to the 2023–24 seasons.


Performance in FIFA Club World Cup

*
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
: 1 appearance Mamelodi was the first football club from Southern Africa to represent CAF in
FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup (FIFA CWC) is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' (FIFA), the sport's global sports governing body, governing body. The compe ...
, following their
2016 CAF Champions League The 2016 CAF Champions League (officially the 2016 Orange CAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd edition of Africa's premier club football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and the 20th editio ...
success. Sundowns is yet again scheduled to participate in another tournament in the United states in 2025.


Club records


Records

Source:


Premiership record

* Orange = In progress * Gold = Champions * Silver = Runner up Source:


Players


Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer


See also

* Mamelodi Sundowns Diski Team * Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies FC * Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies Academy


References


External links

*
Premier Soccer LeaguePSL Club InfoSouth African Football AssociationConfederation of African FootballConfederation of African FootballMamelodi Sundowns F.C. results
{{Authority control Soccer clubs in Pretoria Association football clubs established in 1970 Premier Soccer League clubs 1970 establishments in South Africa CAF Champions League–winning clubs CAF Super Cup winning clubs