Usain Bolt wows Sundowns players
Sprinter Usain Bolt visited Mamelodi Sundowns' training yesterday at Choorklop, and one wonders if he was able to give Masandawana some tips on how they can leave the rest trailing in their wake in this season's Absa Premiership title race.
Mamelodi Sundowns players with Usain Bolt at Chloorkop (Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix)
Bolt at his peak would give his opponents absolutely no chance over 100m, but in the marathon that is the fight for the league title, Sundowns are finding it rather more difficult to fend off their opponents.
It did look at one stage, as they surged to the top of the table, that they would win the league at a canter. But just two wins in their last six matches, including Saturday’s goalless draw at Kaizer Chiefs, means Pitso Mosimane’s side lead Cape Town City by just four points, and Amakhosi and Orlando Pirates by five.
The return to the title race of Chiefs and Pirates has been notable, and Chiefs coach Steve Komphela believes the resurgence of Amakhosi and Bucs in 2018, alongside a powerful Sundowns, can only be good for the local game.
The game certainly looked in good health on Saturday evening in front of representatives from Fifa, as 70 000 fans packed into FNB Stadium, in what has to be one of the biggest attendances ever for a game between Chiefs and Sundowns.
“This is the level of expectation, and we shoud enjoy the support of our teams. Sundowns fans are behind their team and as always our supporters are behind our team. That growth will affect the level of performance of our players,” said Komphela.
“If you have Sundowns, Chiefs and Pirates on top the only benefit could be to the national team, it gives the opportunity to Stuart (Baxter, the Bafana coach) to choose players without having any problems. If you go to any league in the world, if you go to the EPL there are six fighting for the title. If you go to Spain, there is a clear indication of who is fighting for the title.
It should be the same in South Africa. Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns should be in charge of the national game, with all due respect to the other teams.”
Mosimane, meanwhile, joked yesterday that Sundowns could sign Bolt as a free agent.
“The good thing is that he is a free agent, we can sign him in any position we want. As a striker, he is fast, and for a centreback he is very tall.
“We respect him for what he has done for athletics and proved that nothing is impossible,” said the Sundowns coach.
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