Sundowns football dominance is evident

This was evident when the Brazilians hosted an off-season mini football tournament in Alexandra’s No 3 Square Grounds in collaboration with the Alexandra Northrand Local Football Association (ANLFA).

The Brazilians brought most of their development sides, the U13s, U15s, U17s and the U19s, including their Sasol League ladies squad. These development sides were pitted against select squads of the same age groups from the Alex local association.

Sundowns development teams, whose senior team currently tops the Absa Premiership with 45 points, nine points clear of their nearest rivals Bidvest Wits, and has had a 20-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, showed just why the Brazilians are the club of the moment.

They walloped all the ANLFA XI teams with the exception of the U19 ANLFA XI which drew 1-1 with the Brazilians. The U13 and U15 teams were both beaten 5-1 while the U17 was beaten 6-0 and the ANLFA ladies 3-1.

ANLFA secretary general, Mafika Morajane, said he believed the scorelines would have been much more decent had the association been given enough time to prepare for the mini tournament.

“We received a call from them at the 11th hour to say they would like to come for the mini tournament, and given our relationship with them, we could not say no and we had to find a way to accommodate them as we strongly believe this tournament would be mutually beneficial for both parties.”

Morajane said the tournament was a spin-off of their meeting with Sundowns last year in which the association sought to establish closer relations with the club.

Sundowns youth team manager Colen Makhanya said the mini tournament would afford the Brazilians an opportunity to scout for talent.

Makhanya added that the Alex visit was part of the club’s broad annual off-season outreach programme which has seen them visiting Rustenburg, Kwa-Thema, Delmas and the Limpopo province.

Details: Mafika Morajane 082 417 4687.