Record-breaking Sundowns clinch fifth successive Premiership title

What a difference three days can make. Deep in the bowels of FNB Stadium on Saturday night Mamelodi Sundowns were shaken to their foundations after they were dumped out of the Caf Champions League by Petro Atletico from Angola.

But this lean and mean Brazilians winning machine put that disappointment behind them to clinch their unprecedented fifth successive DStv Premiership title with their 0-0 draw against Cape Town City on Wednesday night.

The Brazilians came into the match at Loftus needing a point to reach an unassailable 58-point lead from 26 matches at the top of the standings and they did just that.

In a season where Downs dominated the Premiership, this was the earliest a league championship had been wrapped up in SA since the 2006-07 season, also by Downs, ending that campaign 10-point winners over runners-up Silver Stars. 

After the loss to Petro, which saw them fail to reach the semifinals of the Champions League for the fifth season in succession, coach Manqoba Mngqithi called for a reaction and his players responded.

With this league championship, Sundowns remain on course for a treble as they are in the semifinal stage of the Nedbank Cup where they take on Royal AM at Chatsworth Stadium on Saturday.

Earlier this season Sundowns lifted the MTN8 with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoot-out victory over Cape Town City at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban where goalkeeper Denis Onyango made five spot saves.

A few weeks ago Mngqithi said Downs were chasing the league record of 71 points they set in 2016 but that mark will remain unmatched as they can only finish on 70 from here.

In their remaining four league matches Sundowns play Sekhukhune United, bitter rivals Kaizer Chiefs, Stellenbosch FC and current second-placed upstarts Royal.