Cape Town - Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned Premiership champions on Saturday, their sixth league championship in a row.
IOL Sport’s Herman Gibbs looks at the players who were mainstays in their title-winning campaign.
Ronwen Williams
Ronwen Williams arrived at Sundowns at the start of the season, much to the surprise of everyone since the Brazilians already had excellent goalkeepers in Kennedy Mweene and Denis Onyango. In no time, Williams became the club's first-choice shot-stopper and recorded a high number of clean sheets. On the odd occasion, his contribution between the sticks was the difference between the team winning and losing. He has also shown fine leadership qualities and helped to rally the troops when the going was tough.
Teboho Mokoena
Like Williams, the central midfielder also joined Sundowns from SuperSport United and has proven to be an excellent signing. He has consistently produced strong performances this season and brings physicality to the team’s midfield, shining in the role of midfield general. He scored a gem of a goal in Sundowns' 5-2 win over Al Ahly at Loftus. His shot from well outside the penalty area shocked Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to the extent that he remained motionless as the ball flew into the roof of the net. The goal will be a contender for the Caf Champions League Goal of the Season award.
Mothobi Mvala
After a long-term injury, Mvala made a strong return, and his overall play has improved in leaps and bounds as the season progressed. He has held his own at left-back and done a superb job at man marking. He can be relied on to keep highly-rated opposition players quiet. A strong feature of his game is his ability to make interceptions and clearances when Sundowns under siege. Lately, he has done well in Champions League matches.
Cassius Mailula
Mailula will rank among the finds of the PSL season after he graduated from the Sundowns academy. He has become a key player in the team and ranks among the best-attacking midfielders in Souht Africa. He is a constant threat to opposition defenders and has scored several excellent goals. With nine league goals, he is joint second on the leading goalscorers list with Bradley Grobler and Monnapule Saleng. His teammate Peter Shalulile tops the list with 11 goals.
Thapelo Morena
He has become one of the team's mainstays with his keen and energetic performances. On occasions, he has played in defence but his best performances have been in the midfield where his explosive speed unsettles opposition defenders. He has a penchant for making dangerous runs in behind teams’ backlines and has helped himself to the odd goal. He also boasts a fair number of assists. In a match against Al Ahly, Morena was given the task of marking the dangerous Percy Tau and he did a wonderful job. He can be dangerous when setting off on attacking sorties out wide and then pulling defences out of shape.
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