| Full name | Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Brazilians, Bafana Bastyle, Downs | ||
| Founded | 1970 | ||
| Ground | Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium (Capacity: 28,000) |
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| Chairman | Patrice Motsepe | ||
| Manager | Johan Neeskens | ||
| League | ABSA Premiership | ||
| 2010-11 | ABSA Premiership, 4th | ||
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Mamelodi Sundowns are a South African football (soccer) club that plays in the Premier Soccer League.
Since 2003, Sundowns are owned by rand billionaire Patrice Motsepe.
The club's nickname, The Brazilians, is a reference to their uniforms, which echo those of the Brazilian national team.
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Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club originated from Marabastad, a cosmopolitan area North West of the Pretoria CBD.
The club was originally formed in the early 1960s by a group of youngsters, among them were Reginald Hartze, Joey Lawrence and Bernard Hartze, to mention but a few, and it became an official football club in 1970.
The club was affiliated to the Federation Professional Soccer League in 1973 and the same year reached the finals of the Coca Cola Cup where they played against Berea United and lost 5–3.
In 1978, the Federation Professional Soccer League threw their weight behind the then National Professional Soccer League. This meant the end of the Federation Professional Soccer League and the subsequent relegation of Sundowns to the second division.
For five years ‘Downs battled to gain promotion and during that period the Sundowns management resolved to disband the club but instead were approached by the late Boy Mafa who bought the franchise for R10000.00, a transaction facilitated by then lawyer, Dikgang Moseneke. This resulted in the club relocating to Mamelodi in the early 1980s.
In 1984 South African football was the first sport to become non-racial and the National Soccer League was formed incorporating the top clubs in the country.
Sundowns earned promotion to the NSL in 1985 but in their first season in top-flight soccer, they found the going difficult until Zola Mahobe came on board and appointed Ben Segale as their coach.
In 1988, the ownership of the club fell in the hands of Standard Bank, which repossessed the club from Mr. Zola Mahobe. The Twin Pharmaceutical Group, owned by the Krok brothers, then bought the club from Standard Bank.
Sundowns enjoyed a golden period of success in the late 90s that saw them pick up three consecutive PSL titles (the PSL replaced the NSL at the start of the 1996/97 season) from 1998 to 2000 as well as being Bob Save Super Bowl winners in 1998 and Rothmans Cup winners in 1999.
The club reached the final of the 2001 CAF Champions League, their best performance in continental competition, where they were defeated 4–1 on aggregate by Egyptian club Al-Ahly.
In 2003, mining magnate Patrice Motsepe bought 51% shares in the club and in 2004 he took total control of the club by buying the remaining shares and thus became the sole owner and shareholder of the club.
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 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 in the 2007 ABSA Cup final.
After a stuttering start to the 2009/2010 season, an impressive run through the second half of the season saw the club to second position in the final league standings. The club nevertheless parted ways with coach Hristo Stoichkov.
In the 2010/2001 season, Antonio Lopez Habas who was the assistant coach under Hristo 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 secon round of the league proved more competetitive 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.A chaotic fixture list which saw an abandoned match scheduled in between 2 other matches, eventually cost Sundowns the title, finishing 4th, within 2 points of the winners.
A strategic decision to play Total Football was announced by Club President Patrice Motsepe before the start of the 2011/2012 season. Sundowns appointed, Netherlands and former Barcelona player and assistant coach, Johan Neeskens as Head Coach.In addition the Club undertook the biggest football development project on the entire African continent when it announced a partnership with Johan Cruyff Football Development (JCFD). In terms of this three year deal 4 JCFD coaches are based at the Mamelodi Sundowns Youth Academy,in Pretoria to train the club's local coaches and youth players in the Johan Cruyff football philosophy.
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vs Santos (16/8/98, PSL); vs Vaal Professionals (3/2/99, PSL)
As of September 12, 2011 Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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In the South African PSL, only five non-South African nationals can be registered. Players with foreign and South African citizenship do not count as foreigners.
Ubuntu Botho
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