Mamelodi Sundowns have dominated South African football to the hilt for years now, with their rivals lagging behind.
The Tshwane giants’ quality and easy-on-the-eye style of play exposes PSL teams’ lack of competitiveness.
That is according to a young PSL coach, who has explained why DStv Premiership sides can’t match and struggle against the mighty Sundowns.
Sundowns are a dominant force and tightened their supremacy on the local front by clinching a domestic treble last season. The Brazilians walked away with the MTN8, Nedbank Cup and a record fifth league title in a row.
At the weekend, The Brazilians won the Carling Cup for the first taste following the 4-0 hammering of Orlando Pirates in the final at FNB Stadium. They scored seven goals in two matches, three against AmaZulu in the semis.
SUNDOWNS EXCELLENT ON THE BALL
“When you face a team [Sundowns] that is good on the ball like that [you are bound to struggle],” said AmaZulu coach Romain Folz.
“They make you play right and left and move the ball very quickly, and [Sundowns] doesn’t hold the ball too long, so the ball is moving a lot, and so you have a lot of runs to do off the ball.
“If you are not ready as much, I can give you the best instruction you want; it can come from Pep Guardiola if you want; if the engine is not responding, there’s nothing you can do.
“I knew that AmaZulu coming up against a team is very much capable of moving the ball like that, would struggle for sure,” added Folz.
However, in the new season, the kings of SA football, Sundowns have looked like an ordinary outfit.
GULF IN QUALITY
They lost their MTN8 title to Pirates and put in several below-par displays in the league, which resulted in the club’s management making technical changes.
Rulani Mokwena was appointed as the new sole head coach, while Manqoba Mngqithi was demoted to senior coach, and Steve Komphela was promoted to first-team coach.
These changes were “necessitated by the poor performances and unconvincing victories that the club has experienced for quite some time,” read the club statement.
Despite their slow start, Sundowns head into the FIFA World Cup hiatus at the summit of the log. They boast a healthy five-point lead on second-placed Richards Bay 12 games.
Mokwena’s troops have scored the highest number of goals in the league and also conceded the least goals.
Pirates coach Jose Riveiro admits that when playing Sundowns, his tactical approach is to allow Sundowns to have the ball. He never falls into the trap of pressing them high up. The Spaniard knows that the Soweto giants can’t go pound for pound with the Tshwane giants, perhaps because there is a gulf in quality between both sides.
CLEAR PLAYING IDENTITY
“In the Carling Cup against a team like Sundowns, we knew that they will be the ones dominating the game with the ball,” he said.
Furthermore, Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane explained why he believes Sundowns are a well-oiled machine. ‘10111’ insists that Rome wasn’t built in one day.
According to Zwane, it boils down to establishing a specific playing identity and bringing in the right players. He notes that Sundowns have done this over time.
“Yes, Sundowns have been doing very well. But there’s a way of playing that was started 10 years ago by coach Pitso (Mosimane),” said Zwane.
“With coach Pitso, there was continuity. But you cannot say the same with other teams. There’s a huge difference when it comes to that.
“It’s easy for them because they have an identity. So, whomever they bring in, they must have profiled him properly. So, they easily gel in.”
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