Mamelodi Sundowns FC confirmed their position as South African football kings on Thursday evening, defeating Kaizer Chiefs 5-1 at Soccer City in Johannesburg to claim their seventh consecutive league title.
The reigning African Football League (AFL) champions, who saw their second TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title hopes dashed after being knocked out of the competition by Espérance just a week ago, put smiles on their fans’ faces with the resounding victory, which takes them to seven consecutive victories.
Thursday’s commanding victory over Chiefs sees the former African champions clinch the domestic title with six games to spare, bringing their total league titles to 17, extending their lead as South Africa’s most successful club ahead of Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
Sundowns’ new signings contributed to Thursday’s victory, with Tashreeq Matthews scoring twice and Matias Esquivel, Lucas Ribeiro, and Thembinkosi Lorch adding goals. Mduduzi Shabalala’s successful penalty kick provided some relief for the Chiefs.
While the league title race is over with six games remaining, Ribeiro, who has 11 league goals, will look to finish as the league’s top goalscorer on his debut, with Iqraam Rayners (14) of Stellenbosch FC and Orlando Pirates’ Tshegofatso Mabasa (13) vying for the golden boot.
In addition to the league crown, the winners are targeting a double as they prepare for a semi-final cup game this weekend against Stellenbosch, who are second on the standings.
