Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the men's football club. For the women's football club, see Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies F.C..

Quick facts for kids
Mamelodi Sundowns

Full name

Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club

Nickname(s)

Bafana ba Style (The Stylish Guys)
Masandawana
The Brazilians

Short name

Sundowns
SUN
MSD

Founded

1970; 55 years ago

Ground

Loftus Versfeld Stadium

Capacity

51,762

Owner

Patrice Motsepe

Chairman

Tlhopie Motsepe

Head coach

Miguel Cardoso

League

South African Premiership

2024–25

South African Premiership, 1st of 16 (champions)

Home colours

Away colours

Third colours

Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, often called Sundowns, is a top professional football team from South Africa. They are based in Mamelodi, Pretoria, in the Gauteng province. The team plays in the South African Premiership, which is the highest football league in South Africa.

The club started in the 1970s. They play their home games at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium. Sundowns has won a record 18 national championships, with their first win in 1988. They are the most successful club in the South African PSL era, with 15 league titles as of 2025.

Besides league titles, they have also won the Nedbank Cup six times, the MTN 8 four times, and the Telkom Knockout four times.

Mamelodi Sundowns won the 2016 CAF Champions League and the 2017 CAF Super Cup. They were also named the 2016 CAF Club of the Year. They were the first South African team to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, finishing in 6th place. In 2021, Sundowns became the first club in Africa to win both the men's CAF Champions League and the 2021 CAF Women's Champions League titles. In 2023, they won the first-ever 2023 African Football League.

The club is owned by South African businessman Patrice Motsepe. It is one of Africa's most valuable clubs. Sundowns is known for its special attacking style of play, called "Shoe Shine & Piano." This style involves quick, short passes on the ground, similar to the Spanish Tiki-taka style. This playing style is also used by their youth teams and women's football team.

Club History

How Sundowns Started (1964–1970)

Sundowns Football Club began in the early 1960s in Marabastad, an area near Pretoria. It was formed by young people living there. Some of the first players included Frank "ABC" Motsepe and Ingle Singh. The team was first called Marabastad Sundowns. This name came from an older amateur club from the 1940s.

Headquarters of Mamelodi Sundowns FC in Chloorkop in Pretoria.

In 1969, Ingle "Jinx" Singh, one of the club's founders, sold the team. The new owners, including Dr. Bonny Sebotsane and Joseph Ntshimane "Fish" Kekana, moved the club to the nearby township of Mamelodi. In 1970, the club was officially renamed Mamelodi Sundowns.

Early Years and New Owners (1970–1988)

In 1973, Sundowns joined the Federation Professional League. That same year, they reached the Coca-Cola Cup final but lost. In 1978, Sundowns joined the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). They played in the second division of this new league.

After five years, Sundowns finally got promoted to the top division of the NPSL in 1983. However, their first season was tough. The club's management even thought about closing the club. But then, a new owner, Zola Mahobe, took over in 1985.

In 1985, South African football became non-racial. The National Soccer League (NSL) was formed, including top clubs like Sundowns. Under Zola Mahobe, Sundowns started to become a much stronger team. Mahobe spent a lot of money to bring in top South African players. He also changed the team's kit to look like the Brazilian national team's kit. This is how they got their famous nickname, "the Brazilians."

Mahobe hired Stanley "Screamer" Tshabalala as coach. Under Tshabalala, Sundowns played an exciting style of football known as "The Shoe Shine and Piano." By the end of 1986, the club won the Mainstay Cup. The next season, they finished third in the league.

In 1988, Sundowns won two more trophies: the BP Top Eight Cup and the Ohlsson's Challenge Cup. Later that year, the club's ownership changed. Standard Bank took over the club from Zola Mahobe due to his legal problems. The football family Angelo and Natasha Tsichlas then worked with the bank to save the club. They bought the club with the Krok brothers.

First League Title and More Success (1988–1995)

Chilean coach Mario Tuane and his assistant Angelo Tsichlas took over the team. They led Sundowns to their first league championship win. Fans celebrated at HM Pitje Stadium. After this, Angelo Tsichlas became caretaker coach. Later, Trott Moloto and Stan Lapot coached the team.

In 1990, Stan Tshabalala returned as coach. Sundowns had a great season, losing only two league games. They won their first treble, which means winning three major trophies in one season: the Top Eight Cup and the JPS Knockout Cup against Orlando Pirates.

The next few seasons had some tough losses. In 1991, they finished second in the league and did not reach any cup finals. In 1992, under coach Augusto Palacios, Sundowns lost two cup finals to rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

Jeff Butler became coach in 1993. He led the club to its third league title. In 1994, Sundowns played in a continental competition for the first time, the African Cup of Champions Clubs.

The PSL Era and Ted Dumitru (1995–2004)

The National Soccer League was replaced by the South African Premiership in 1996–97. After a few coaching changes, Sundowns signed Raphael Chukwu and appointed Ted Dumitru as head coach in July 1997. Raphael Chukwu and Daniel Mudau formed a strong attacking duo. With other great players like Joel Masilela and Alex Bapela, Sundowns won three league titles in a row from 1998 to 2000. They also won the Bob Save Super Bowl in 1998 and the Rothmans Cup in 1999.

In 2001, Sundowns aimed for African glory. They became the second South African team to reach the prestigious CAF Champions League Final. They beat Petro Atlético in the semifinals. In the 2001 final, they lost to Egyptian club Al Ahly.

After the 1999/2000 season, the club went through a period of rebuilding. Their league performances were not as strong for a few years.

Patrice Motsepe Takes Over (2004-Present)

In 2004, mining businessman Patrice Motsepe bought a 51% share in the club. He later bought all the remaining shares, becoming the sole owner. Under Motsepe, Sundowns won their first trophy in six years in May 2006. Coaches Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey led them to win the PSL league title, their seventh in history.

In the 2006–07 season, Gordon Igesund took over as head coach. Sundowns successfully defended their league title. In 2009, the club hired former Ballon d'Or winner Hristo Stoichkov as coach. They finished second in the league that season.

In 2011, Dutch coach Johan Neeskens was appointed. He gave chances to many young players. Even though the team played exciting football, they did not win any trophies. On March 4, 2012, Sundowns set a South African record in the Nedbank Cup by beating Powerlines 24–0. However, they lost the 2012 Nedbank Cup final. Neeskens was later replaced.

The Pitso Mosimane Era (2012–2019)

On December 2, 2012, Pitso Mosimane became the head coach. He guided Sundowns to a 9th-place finish in his first season. The 2013/14 season started well with a 6-game unbeaten run. Despite some inconsistent performances mid-season, Mosimane was confident. On March 9, 2014, Sundowns started an 11-game unbeaten streak. This led to an exciting league title win, ending a 6-year trophy drought.

The team became even stronger with players like Khama Billiat, Keagan Dolly, and Leonardo Castro. They also had strong midfielders like Hlompho Kekana and Themba Zwane. Sundowns finished 2nd in the league in 2014 but won both the Nedbank Cup and Telkom Knockout. This started a period of dominance in the league. Sundowns won the league titles in 2015/2016, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2019/2020. The 2015/16 season was record-breaking. Sundowns became the first team to score over 70 points in the league since it became a 16-team system.

Winning the CAF Champions League in 2016

In 2016, Mosimane led Sundowns to their first CAF Champions League win. This was a big goal for owner Patrice Motsepe. Sundowns had been eliminated early in the 2016 CAF Champions League. However, they were put back into the competition after a team from Congo was disqualified.

In their journey to the final, Sundowns played against Nigeria's Enyimba International F.C. at Lucas Moripe Stadium. They won 2–1. They also beat Egyptian club Zamalek SC 2–1 in Egypt and 1–0 at home. These wins secured their spot in the semifinals.

In the semifinals, they faced Zambian team ZESCO United. They lost the first leg 2–1. In the second leg, Sundowns won 2–0 with goals from Anthony Laffor and Percy Tau. This meant Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. reached the final of the competition for the first time since 2001.

In the final, they beat Egypt's Zamalek SC 3–1 over two games. This was their first-ever continental title. They became only the second South African team to win the African Champions League.

Starting lineup for CAF Champions League 2016 Final, 1st leg

Sundowns then won the 2017 CAF Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. They defeated TP Mazembe from the DRC. The club signed Gaston Sirino and Rivaldo Coetzee in 2018. Despite losing some key players, the club continued to perform well. They won a domestic treble (league, Telkom Knockout, and Nedbank Cup) in the 2018/19 season.

New Coaches and Continued Success (2020-Present)

Mamelodi Sundowns FC in a friendly game against Go Ahead Eagles in 2023.

In 2020, the team changed its coaching staff after Pitso Mosimane left. Former assistant coaches Rhulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi became joint Head Coaches. Steve Komphela was also appointed as a senior coach. This coaching team led the club to a successful fifth consecutive league win. They also won the Nedbank Cup. New players like Peter Shalulile and Neo Maema joined and performed very well.

The 2021/22 season was another record-breaking league season for Sundowns.

Club Achievements

Mamelodi Sundowns has won many titles, both in South Africa and across Africa.

Type	Competition	Titles	Seasons
Domestic	Premiership / National Soccer League	18	Winners (18): 1988, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 Runners-up (5): 1990–91, 1994–95, 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016–17
	Bob Save Superbowl/Nedbank Cup	6	Winners (6): 1986, 1998, 2008, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2021–22 Runners-up (7): 1989, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011–12 2023–24
	Telkom Knockout/Carling Knockout	4	Winners (4): 1990, 1999, 2015, 2019 Runners-up (5): 1997, 1998, 2007, 2012, 2024
	MTN 8	4	Winners (4): 1988, 1990, 2007, 2021 Runners-up (7): 1992, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2016, 2023
African	CAF Champions League	1	Winners (1): 2016 Runners-up (2): 2001, 2024–25
	CAF Super Cup	1	Winners (1): 2017
	African Football League	1	Winners (1): 2023

Record
^S 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 Wins

Shell Helix Cup: 2018
Telkom Charity Cup: 1991, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006
Carling Black Label Cup: 2022
Ohlsson's Challenge Cup: 1988

Playing in African Competitions

South African football clubs started playing in CAF Competitions in 1993. This was after a 16-year ban from FIFA due to the apartheid system. The ban lasted from 1976 to 1992.

CAF Champions League Appearances

Mamelodi Sundowns has played in the African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League 17 times. They played once in 1994 and 16 times from 1999 until now. They hold the record for the biggest victory in the CAF Champions League. They beat Seychelles team Côte d'Or 11–1 at home and 16–1 overall in the 2019–2020 season.

Year	Best finish
1994	Second Round
1999	Play-offs
2000	Group Stage
2001	Finalist
2006	First Round
2007	Play-offs
2008	Play-offs
2015	First Round
2016	Champion
2017	Quarter finals
2018	Group Stage
2018–19	Semi finals
2019–20	Quarter finals
2020–21	Quarter finals
2021–22	Quarter finals
2022–23	Semi finals
2023–24	Semi finals

Other CAF Competitions

CAF Confederation Cup: 4 appearances
CAF Super Cup: 1 appearance (won in 2017)
CAF Cup: 2 appearances
African Cup Winners' Cup: 1 appearance

Club Records

Important Records

Type	Name	Record
Most trophies won – Player	Kennedy Mweene	12
Most Trophies Won – Coach	Pitso Mosimane	11
Most starts	Daniel Mudau	390
Most goals	Daniel Mudau	172
Most goals in a season	Bennett Masinga	33 (1990)
Record victory	vs Powerlines	24–0 (March 4, 2012, Nedbank Cup)
Inter-record victory	vs Al Ahly	5–0 (April 6, 2019, CAF Champions League)

Premiership League Performance

This table shows how Mamelodi Sundowns has performed in the top South African league each season.

Season	Pos	Record
Season	Pos	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1996–97	6th	34	13	11	10	35	30	5	50
1997–98	Champions	34	19	11	4	48	25	23	68
1998–99	Champions	34	23	6	5	70	26	44	75
1999–00	Champions	34	23	6	5	68	34	34	75
2000–01	3rd	34	17	8	9	58	32	26	59
2001–02	5th	34	15	11	8	47	32	15	56
2002–03	10th	30	11	6	13	30	30	0	39
2003–04	10th	30	8	12	10	32	32	0	36
2004–05	3rd	30	16	8	6	54	28	26	56
2005–06	Champions	30	16	9	5	45	19	26	57
2006–07	Champions	30	18	7	5	45	17	28	61
2007–08	4th	30	13	8	9	40	35	5	47
2008–09	9th	30	11	7	12	28	28	0	40
2009–10	2nd	30	16	8	6	43	23	20	56
2010–11	4th	30	18	4	8	52	28	24	58
2011–12	4th	30	14	10	6	44	23	21	52
2012–13	9th	30	9	12	9	31	27	4	39
2013–14	Champions	30	20	5	5	51	25	26	65
2014–15	2nd	30	16	9	5	44	24	20	57
2015–16	Champions	30	22	5	3	55	20	35	71
2016–17	2nd	30	16	9	5	52	20	32	57
2017–18	Champions	30	18	6	6	49	24	25	60
2018–19	Champions	30	16	11	3	40	24	16	59
2019–20	Champions	30	17	8	5	43	22	21	59
2020–21	Champions	30	19	10	1	49	14	35	67
2021–22	Champions	30	19	8	3	56	20	36	65
2022–23	Champions	30	21	7	2	52	13	39	70
2023–24	Champions	30	22	7	1	51	10	41	73

Gold = Champions
Silver = Runner up

Playing in the FIFA Club World Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns was the first football club from Southern Africa to represent CAF in the FIFA Club World Cup. This happened after they won the 2016 CAF Champions League. Sundowns is also playing in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 tournament in the United States. On June 17, 2025, Sundowns got their first win in the FIFA Club World Cup. They beat South Korea’s Ulsan HD, with a goal from striker Iqraam Rayners. This was also the first victory for an African team at the tournament in the US.

Year	Finish	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pst
2016	6th place	2	0	0	2	1	6	-5	0
	Total	2	0	0	2	1	6	-5	0