Who owns Mamelodi Sundowns?
If you are a football enthusiast, you might be familiar with Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, better known as Sundowns FC. For those with no idea; this is a South African professional football club based in Mamelodi, Tshwane in the Gauteng province. The club was founded in the 1960s and has changed its ownership over the years as expounded more in this article.
Source: UGC
Since its inception, Mamelodi Sundowns has won the league title for a record of nine times. They made history as the first South African team to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they finished position six. Are you anxious to know who the man behind this successful soccer club is? Well, the club is owned by Patrice Motsepe, who is a South African business magnate. Read more on this article to find out how the club came into inception.
Brief history
Source: UGC
Below is a brief history of how Mamelodi Sundowns' soccer club was born to its current position.
Birth
The club was established back in the year 1960 by a group of like-minded youngsters who were residing in Tshwane.
Some of the notable pioneers of the club include Roy Fischer, Bernard Hartz, Ingle Singh, and Frank Motsepe.
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In 1967, the club joined the Federation of Professional Soccer League.
In 1980, the club was relegated to the second division of the National Professional Soccer League. They maintained in the second division for five years until the entry of Mr. Cool (Zola Mahobe) in 1985.
Mr Cool era
Zola Mahobe took over Sundowns in 1985. He made significant improvements that saw the club move from the second division.
The same year that he took over, it was the time South African football was the first sport to be declared as non-racial. That saw the formation of the National Soccer League incorporating the top clubs in South Africa.
In 1986, one year after Mr Cool took over, the club claimed their first major cup, the Mainstay Cup, by beating Jomo Cosmos 1-0.
1n 1987, they turned red hot and won numerous cups, such as the Castle League Champions, JPS Cup, and BP Top Eight.
Through their immense efforts and success, Zola Mahobe was impressed and rewarded the Mamelodi Sundowns F.C players. He surprised them with an all-expenses-paid trip to the FA Cup Final in London. To add taste to that, they were taken alongside their partners.
Zola Mahobe was not mean with his spendings. This is because he spent every penny to entertain the players by giving them expensive gifts, such as BMWs, as well as paying them handsomely to motivate them to do their best. Players on the other side did not disappoint him as they gave their best pushing the club to greater heights.
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However, something unfortunate happened, and Zola Mahobe was arrested, which was a big blow to the club as it destabilized everything. The Standard Bank who came to the rescue of the club and took over the ownership in 1988.
The club was put into liquidation and the football family Angelo and Natasha declared their interest to manage the club. They negotiated with the bank so that they can salvage the club. Under their stewardship, Sundowns became the best team in South Africa where they won the first National Soccer League Trophy under coach Angelo Tsichlas.
Their efforts were rewarded as the club rose ranks to claim seven league titles.
Dr. Patrice Motsepe era
Source: UGC
Patrice Motsepe bought Sundowns and renamed it Mamelodi Sundowns in 2004.
Motsepe came in with high gear, and that saw the club winning the league for two seasons in a row in 2006 and 2007. The club went ahead to claim the league between the year 2013/2014 under the custody of the local coach Pitso Mosimane. The coach later delivered the 2016 Championships League victory.
Club fans have expressed their confidence with Motsepe, saying that there is no doubt that he will take the club to greater heights and bring the vision of making Tshwane the sporting capital.
Honours
Below are national and individual awards to the club:
National titles:
They have a record of 12 South African league titles where they are:
- 9-time winners of Premier Soccer League
- 3-time winners of National Soccer League
Cup competitions:
- Won Nedbank cup 4 times
- Telkom Knockout 4 time winners
- MTN 8 3 time winners
Individual Awards
- African Club of the Year 2016
- South African team of the year 2016
- PSL team of the season 2015-16, 2013-14
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Sundowns logo
Source: UGC
The club's upgraded, strengthened, and modernized logo bears colours resembling those of Brazil, making them have a nickname Brazilians. Besides the yellow colour, it also has the words, 'Mamelodi Sundowns' and 'The Sky is the Limit' on it.
Mamelodi Sundowns FC latest news
On their latest news, the club announced that Coach Pitso Mosimane has signed a contract extension that will see him remain as Mamelodi Sundowns coach until the end of the 2023/24 season.
You can get more of the latest news and new players at Mamelodi Sundowns F.C by going through their website at sundownsfc.co.za
FAQs
Below are the frequently asked questions regarding the club.
How many trophies have Mamelodi Sundowns won?
Since the inception of the PSL in 1996, Sundowns has won the league title a record of nine times.
Who started Mamelodi Sundowns?
It was started by a group of youngsters residing in and around Marabastad in Pretoria (Tshwane).
Which player did Mamelodi Sundowns sign?
Grant Margemaan was the recent player to be signed at the club.
Who is the richest PSL player?
Anele Ngcongca is a South African footballer who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, and he has a net worth of about R30 Million and is the wealthiest player.
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How many times did Pitso Mosimane win the league?
Under Mosimane, Sundowns has won four Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles, a Caf Champions League trophy, the Caf Super Cup, a Nedbank Cup title, and the Telkom Knockout twice.
Which team has won the most trophies in South Africa?
Kaizer Chiefs has won 93 trophies over the past 47 years.
Which team is the richest in PSL?
Mamelodi Sundowns is the richest with an estimated net worth of 11 million dollars.
Who are the new players of Mamelodi Sundowns?
Below are some of the new players in the club:
- Kennedy Mweene Goalkeeper
- Abram Ngcobo Goalkeeper
- Rivaldo Coetzee Centre-Back
- Ricardo Nascimento Centre-Back
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Motsepe is undoubtedly visionary in the business world and has often been quoted saying, 'If we continue doing the right things in Africa, we can create a fascinating and competitive global market here.' And true to his words, Mamelodi Sundowns club is expected to remain at the top of the game.
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Source: Briefly News
