Pitso Mosimane and Mamelodi Sundowns – a match made in heaven

Pitso Mosimane’s time at Mamelodi Sundowns has come to an end, with both the club and coach releasing statements on Wednesday afternoon confirming his departure.

READ MORE: Sundowns, Mosimane confirm exit, Al Ahly announcement imminent

Phakaaathi takes a look at a timeline of his eight years or so at Sundowns, and an incredible run that saw 11 trophies delivered to Choorklop, including one Caf Champions League and five Absa Premiership titles.

December 2, 2012 – Mosimane joins Sundowns

Pitso Mosimane had been in a bit of a coaching wilderness after being dismissed as Bafana Bafana head coach in June, but he got his opportunity to coach again at Absa Premiership level when Johan Neeskens was sacked following Sundowns’ defeat to Bloemfontein Celtic in the 2012 Telkom Knockout final. Sundowns finished a lowly tenth in the table and were knocked out of the Nedbank Cup at the quarterfinal stage by Platinum Stars, but it only got better for Mosimane and his side from then on.

The Absa Premiership title 2013/14

Pitso Mosimane celebrates winning his first league title after beating SuperSport 3-0 at Loftus on May 6, 2014 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix

The rivalry between Kaizer Chiefs head coach Stuart Baxter and Mosimane was to dominate the first three years or so of Mosimane’s reign at Choorklop, until Baxter left Amakhosi at the end of the 2014/15 season. Sundowns and Chiefs were neck and neck for the title for much of the 2013/14 campaign, but Sundowns surged ahead with a ten game winning streak from early March and wrapped up the title with a game to spare, hammering Tshwane rivals SuperSport United 3-0 at Loftus. Chiefs would have their revenge in the 2014/15 season, losing just three matches and winning the league by 12 points.

2015/16 – A record points haul

Pitso Mosimane, coach of Mamelodi Sundown celebrates a victory with fans during the Absa Premiership 2016/17 match between Golden Arrows and Mamelodi Sundowns at the Prince Magogo Stadium, South Africa on 28 April 2017 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

Mosimane’s side bounced back from their title defeat to Chiefs in fine style the following season, romping to the Absa Premiership title, finishing 14 points ahead of nearest rivals Bidvest Wits. Propelled by the so-called “CBD” of Leonardo Castro, Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly, Sundowns went top towards the end of the first round and never relinquished that lead, at one stage going on an 18-match unbeaten run. Their 71 points was a new record for a 16-team Absa Premiership, and has yet to be bettered.

October 23, 2016 – Sundowns are crowned Champions of Africa 

Pitso Mosimane celebrates at final whistle after Sundowns win the 2016 CAF Champions League Final beating Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria, Egypt on 23 October 2016 ©Gavin Barker/BackpagePix

Even with his five Absa Premiership titles, one feels lifting the Caf Champions League in 2016 was the crowning moment of Pitso Mosimane’s career at Sundowns. Orlando Pirates were the only South African side to have lifted the continent’s biggest cup competition, back in 1995, while Orlando Pirates had reached the final again in 2013, but the country’s record on the continent was generally dire. Mosimane never made a secret of his desire to conquer Africa, and while he was handed a lifeline in the 2016 edition, he more than made the most of it. Sundowns were knocked out initially by AS Vita and didn’t look to have made the group stages, but they got another chance after Vita were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player in a previous match. And they grabbed the opportunity, storming to the final, which they basically won with a 3-0 win in the home leg. Zamalek beat them 1-0 in Alexandria, but it wasn’t nearly enough, and Sundowns finally had their continental crown. They also went on to win the Caf Super Cup the following year, beating TP Mazembe 1-0, while they then went on to play in the Fifa Club World Cup in Tokyo.

September 5, 2020 – Three-in-a-row followed by a domestic treble

Pitso Mosimane celebrates with the Absa Premiership trophy at Dobsonville Stadium on 05 September 2020 ©Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix

It was deep into 2020, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, when Sundowns won their fifth Premiership title under  Mosimane, and for now, what has turned out to be their last with him in charge. For a long time, it looked like Ernst Middendorp’s Kaizer Chiefs would beat them to the post, and Sundowns, indeed, never led the table until the final day of the season, when a 3-0 win over Black Leopards was enough to see them crowned champions, as Chiefs slipped up in a 1-1 draw with Baroka FC. Having won the league more comfortably in 2018 and 2019, Sundowns thus emulated the Masandawana side of the late 1990s in winning three top flight titles in a row. Mosimane, meanwhile, now has more league titles than any other coach in PSL history, while Sundowns finished the season on a high on September 12 when they beat Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 in the Nedbank Cup final.

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