Sundowns seek PSL three-peat
Brad Morgan
10 August 2007
The 2007/08 PSL season begins on 15 August with champions Mamelodi Sundowns, convincing winners by 10 points last season, out to defend their title and capture the honours for the fifth time as the PSL enters its twelfth year.
In the sixteen-team league, the Brazilians, along with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, make up the "big three", the glamour clubs of South African soccer. In SA, they're viewed in a similar manner to that with which English fans view their big four clubs, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
Backed by the deep pockets of mining magnate Patrice Motsepe, whose personal fortune was reported at R7.94-billion in June – Sundowns have been compared to Chelsea. The Blues rose to prominence in England after Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003 and poured huge money into acquiring a world-class squad.
Investment rewarded
Abramovich's investment was
quickly rewarded. Chelsea finished second in the Premiership in his first season as an owner. Then, after acquiring Jose Mourinho as manager, they claimed their first league title in the top flight since 1954/55. They followed that up with a second title and a runner-up finish last season.
Despite their success in the Premiership, Chelsea desperately wants to win the prestigious European Champions League. They have reached the semifinals of the competition twice in the past three seasons, losing to Liverpool on both occasions, so it remains the Blues' burning desire to become champions of Europe.
Chelsea's achievement, aims, and recent history, closely parallel the SA champion's story in manner ways.
Ambitious goals
Mamelodi Sundowns, too, wants to become a dominant continental power. Motsepe, like Abramovich, is focused on winning titles.
Before Motsepe's time in charge, from 1998 to 2000, the Brazilians claimed three PSL titles
in succession, but then went five seasons without returning to the top of the table. In 2003, the mining magnate then acquired a 51% stake in the club. The following year he took over sole ownership after buying out the other shareholders.
League success returned to the club in 2005/06, despite the unusual decision to share the coaching duties between Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey. However, having two men in charge is a risky manner of conducting business, so the club looked for one man to lead it, leading to the signing of Gordon Igesund as coach.
In much the same way that big-spending Chelsea finally tasted league success after acquiring highly-regarded manager Jose Mourinho, Sundowns, although already champions, became dominant under Igesund, reclaiming the PSL title with him at the helm.
A track record of success
Igesund had previously led three clubs - Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates and Santos – to the league title.
Winning the 2006/07 title with Mamelodi Sundowns, the club's second title in succession, saw him achieve the amazing feat of capturing the PSL title with four clubs. That means a quarter of the teams in the 16-club league have claimed the top prize in South African football under the former Admira Wacker player.
Despite its runaway league victory, there was a sense of disappointment for the team when it failed to qualify for the group stage of the African Champions League. In a qualifying showdown against long-time African power, Al Ahly of Egypt, the would-be power, Sundowns, drew 2-2 at home, but was then outplayed in Cairo, losing 2-0, to bow out 4-2 on aggregate.
It showed that the Brazilians are closing in on the status they desire, but they're not there yet.
African Confederation Cup
The defeat to Al Ahly left Igesund's charges having to take on Tunisia's El Gaouafel Sportif de Gafsa in the fourth round of the African
Confederation Cup for a place in the group stage of the continent's second most important club competition.
A 2-1 victory at home, followed by a 1-1 draw in Tunisia, saw 'Downs through to the group stages.
While other PSL teams set about preparing for their next league campaign, competing in friendlies and pre-season tournaments, the Brazilians were offered little respite, continuing their African challenge. Their first two matches in the Confederations Cup, in retrospect, were probably very helpful towards Igesund and his staff in that they revealed some areas in which the team showed a little weakness.
Against TP Mazembe of the DRC, in Sundowns' first game, the side lacked a cutting edge, coming into the contest off of pre-season training. The absences of Michael Manzini, Vuyo Mere and last season's PSL Player of the Year, Godfrey Sapula, meant Igesund had to shuffle his starting line-up. The effect of that was that the Brazilians, in the first half, were shaky in
defence.
Shocked
TP Mazembe, twice winners of the African Cup of Champions, the competition that was replaced by the African Champions League in 1997, raced into a shock 2-0 lead at halftime.
Sundowns, though, exhibiting a gutsy fighting spirit, fought back to draw level with goals by Shakes Ngwenya and Esrom Nyandoro. Surprise Moriri then delivered the killer blow just before the final whistle to earn the South African side an exhilarating 3-2 victory.
Despite the thrilling win, the difficulties the Congolese caused the SA champions should have served as a warning to the Pretoria-based team.
Heavy defeat
Next time out, facing CS Sfaxien, the losing finalists in the Champions League in 2006, on 4 August, in Tunisia, the Brazilians suffered a shocking 4-0 defeat.
Using a physical approach and closing Sundowns down quickly when the South Africans were in possession, CS Sfaxien roared into a 3-0
lead after only 29 minutes. A goal in the fourth minute of the referee's optional time put the seal on an emphatic 4-0 victory for the Tunisians.
The lopsided loss emphasised the fact that Sundowns need to keep improving by putting together a deeper squad with more quality than the one that carried it to the PSL title last season, and an 18-game unbeaten run along the way.
Strengthening the side
Coach Igesund, no doubt aware of his team's shortcomings, had, thankfully for the Brazilians, been working hard on strengthening the side. He turned to South America to find solutions. As a result of his search, two players will be joining the South African champions.
One of the areas coach Igesund wanted to improve upon was the club's goal scoring ability; despite finishing as the top scorers in the PSL in their championship winning season, Sundowns' offense, known for its passing and ability to create chances, was hardly overpowering. They
netted 45 times in 30 matches, an average of just one-and-a-half goals a game.
Brazilian striker
Thus, the Brazilians have signed Brazilian Marco Brito, whose previous clubs include Fluminense and Vasco da Gama.
Described on the Sundowns' website as "a typical, hard-nosed, old fashioned bang bang striker with an insatiable appetite for goals", Brito made a favourable impression in his first practice with the club on Wednesday.
Goalkeeping coach Alejandro Heredia liked what he saw, enthusing about the striker's ability to use either foot. "You are never quite sure which leg he will use to control the ball or shoot as he is adept with both legs," enthused Heredia.
Midfield steel
Sundowns have also moved to add some steel to the team's midfield and defence by signing Jorge Acuna. A current Chilean international, with 18 caps to his credit, Acuna is a holding midfielder.
He has already agreed
terms with the Brazilians and arrives in South Africa today to finalise a two-year deal with the club.
The 29-year-old turned professional in 1999 when he joined Unión Española. The following year he moved to Universidad Católica, 12 times the winners of Chile's Premier League.
In 2002, he moved to Feyenoord Rotterdam, which is, along with Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven one of the Netherlands' big three clubs. He was loaned to RBC Rosendaal in 2005 and played there until his contract expired in 2006. After that, he signed with Universidad de Chile.
Blackburn Rovers' interest
Blackburn Rovers, where Benni McCarthy and Aaron Mokoena ply their trade, showed interest in Acuna, while fellow English Premier club Wigan Athletic took him on trial at the beginning of 2007. Ultimately, he was not offered a contract.
At the end of June, Acuna was signed to a one-year contract with Israel's Maccabi Netanya, but he refused to play in the
country.
When Arturo Salah was fired as coach of Universidad de Chile, matters were set in motion for the player's transfer to Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns' Executive Director Afzal Khan, who previously formed a title-winning partnership with Igesund at Manning Rangers and Santos, says he likes what he feels Acuna will bring to the Brazilians' midfield.
A take charge player
The club's website, said Khan described Acuna as an intelligent player blessed with the ability to take charge of a game and control (it) from his deep lying role.
There is a commonly expressed belief, regularly backed up by results that prove it, that to successfully defend a title is tougher than winning it for the first time. Repeating as league champions is the challenge that lies ahead for the Brazilians.
As the two-time defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns know that, for other PSL teams, they are the team to beat. Thus, every time the players
take to the field they will carry a collective target on their backs.
Set the bar high
The club has set the bar high; success for it means winning titles. No other measure suffices. Their aim is to win the PSL title again and follow that up by making a bigger impact in Africa, which would mean qualifying for the group stages of the African Champions League.
Will the Brazilians be dethroned as PSL champions in 2007-08? Probably not, but titles are never won on paper, they're won on the field.
They begin their title defence on 15 August with a home game against Amazulu.
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