Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango has revisited their 2019/20 season feat as he looks for inspiration for the Betway Premiership title run-in against Orlando Pirates.
The Brazilians are currently on top of the standings with three points more than second-placed Pirates. However, the Buccaneers have played a game fewer than Masandawana, setting up the title race for a photo finish.
Sundowns play their final league match of the season on Tuesday night when they clash with TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium [19:30]. Even if they win that match, they remain on top of the table, but it will not guarantee them the league title.
Their fate would depend on how the Buccaneers fare in their two games against Durban City FC and Orbit College FC. For Onyango, the current scenario mirrors the dramatic 2019/2020 campaign, which famously concluded in the bio-bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At that time, Masandawana found themselves in a relentless pursuit of Kaizer Chiefs, with the title appearing increasingly out of reach as the season progressed. Amakhosi had dominated the race for the majority of the campaign, at one stage enjoying a commanding 13-point lead.
However, the momentum shifted once football resumed under bio-bubble conditions. The Soweto giants began to falter, eventually suffering a sensational collapse that allowed Sundowns to pip them to the crown in the final moments of the season. Chiefs came within 20 minutes of securing the title on the final day, but a 1-1 draw with Baroka FC denied them the trophy. Meanwhile, Sundowns capitalised on the slip-up by defeating Black Leopards 3-0 at Dobsonville Stadium on September 5, 2020, to snatch the championship right at the death.
The season before, the Brazilians were in another last-day drama when they pipped Pirates to the title, making them familiar with such edge-of-the-seat scenarios. They arrived at Globe Park Stadium needing a win and managed to edge Free State Stars 1-0 on May 11, 2019, to win the league title by two points.
Second-placed Buccaneers also needed a victory on the day, while praying for Sundowns to falter in the Free State. They delivered by beating Polokwane City FC 3-0 at the then-Orlando Stadium, but Masandawana’s slim win made Pirates’ victory count little.
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“Sundowns supporters must keep on believing because we have done it before. I think there is a season when we won it [league title] at the death in the Free State,” said Onyango. “We won it again in the bubble. So, they must just believe that it’s possible, regardless of the situation not being in our hands that much. We just need to win our last game and hope things can turn around.
“But for me, I think if they [supporters] keep pushing us, we also have a belief that things can turn our way. It’s not over until it’s done. We are all geared up and ready to fight until the last whistle. As senior players, we have to push the boys because every game counts for the club, regardless of how difficult it is.
“We have to give our best, every game is a final, and as we are also looking forward to the [CAF] Champions League final [AS FAR], we have to end the season on a high, regardless of what’s happening around us in the league.
“We have to stay positive and believe that it can be done. That’s the thinking from the coaching staff and the players in general. We can’t just take any game for granted; we have to give our best in every game.
“We can’t guarantee that the other people will win, but we just have to stay focused and win our game [against TS Galaxy].”
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