Mamelodi Sundowns win sixth straight South African title
Mamelodi Sundowns won a sixth straight South African Premiership title on Saturday while preparing to play in a Confederation of African Football (CAF) competition.
The Pretoria outfit hosted Cameroonians Coton Sport in a CAF Champions League group match less than two hours after a result 1,100 kilometres (685 miles) away confirmed them as champions.
Another Pretoria team, SuperSport United, had to beat Chippa United in the southern coastal city of Gqeberha to retain a mathematical chance of overtaking Sundowns.
But SuperSport drew 1-1 and can only reach 58 points, one less than Sundowns already have with seven rounds remaining.
SuperSport have dropped five points in two matches and now share second spot with the two best known South African football clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.
Pirates triumphed 2-0 over Richards Bay in Durban while Chiefs won 2-1 at home to 10-man Stellenbosch in Johannesburg.
Sundowns, who are owned by CAF president and billionaire businessman Patrice Motsepe, have won the Premiership 13 times since it was formed in 1996.
Chiefs and Pirates have been champions four times each, SuperSport three times and Manning Rangers, Santos and Bidvest Wits once each.
Commenting on Sundowns latest title, TV analyst and former Chiefs and Pirates star Jimmy Tau said "the champions are head and shoulders above other South African clubs".
"They are setting a very good example and it is up to the other top-flight clubs to emulate them," he added.
Critics of Sundowns believe the financial support of Motsepe gives them an unfair advantage in a league where Chiefs and Pirates are the only other clubs with big cash surpluses.
But Sundowns have consistently proved shrewd buyers in the transfer market, signing stars from r Africa and South America.
Foreigners include two goalkeepers, Ugandan Denis Onyango and Zambian Kennedy Mweene, Kenyan defender Brian Onyango and two forwards, Namibian Peter Shalulile and Ethiopian Abubeker Nassir.
The South Americans are Bolivian midfielder Erwin Saavedra and two forwards, Chilean Marcelo Allende and Uruguayan Gaston Sirino.
Local Rulani Mokwena, a 36-year-old who never played top-level football, was appointed head coach this season after previous sharing the role with Manqoba Mngqithi.