Is Mamelodi Sundowns dominance making the PSL less exciting?
NO SURPRISE Mamelodi Sundowns' historic eighth consecutive league title highlights their dominance in South African football, raising questions about the excitement level in the PSL. Picture: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Like Manchester United under Alex Ferguson, Tiger Woods in the early 2000s, Michael Schumacher in F1, total domination in sport makes it boring for the neutral fans.
Looking back, there’s always a sense of nostalgia, like when we see Woods hobble his way around a golf course now and the broadcaster shows a flashback of his heyday.
With Manchester United currently experiencing one of the worst periods in their history, it seems a lifetime ago that they were almost untouchable under Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils won an incredible 13 league titles between 1992 and 2013 under Ferguson.
More recently, Manchester City became the dominant force in the English Premier League under coach Pep Guardiola with six titles between 2017 and 2024.
Mamelodi Sundowns Secure Historic Eighth Consecutive League Title
As impressive as these achievements are, they are eclipsed by the eight league titles in a row that Mamelodi Sundowns clinched on Wednesday evening.
A 3-0 romp over Chippa United in East London meant Sundowns won the Betway Premiership with a game to spare. In fact, they probably would have won it sooner, but second-placed Orlando Pirates have three games in hand over Sundowns.
It’s also no secret that the Patrice Motsepe-owned Sundowns are the richest football club not only in South Africa, but the entire continent.
Not that they were struggling for cash, but Mamelodi Sundowns will earn a handy R174 million simply for playing in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup next month.
FIFA had initially targeted a much larger participation fee of $50 million (around R911 million), but apparent issues the tournament ran into over sponsorships and broadcasting revenue saw the final figure radically reduced. Teams will also be awarded around R36m per win and R18m per draw in the group stages.
A total prize money of 1 billion US dollars (R18.2 billion) was confirmed for the tournament by FIFA. The winners of the event will pocket R2.2 billion.
It seems then, the domination of Sundowns is set to continue and until their reign is over, other clashes like the Soweto Derbies will remain the highlight of the SA football calendar every season.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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