Johannesburg - Jabu Mahlangu’s comments that Mamelodi Sundowns are “destroying” the PSL are short-sighted. While Mahlangu is perfectly correct in terms of deeming the quality of soccer in the Premiership to be low, his claims about Sundowns being a problem are not fair.
What Mahlangu should have rather done is criticise the other teams in the league for not being able to match the runaway league leaders, who are now all but certain to win the title for a sixth consecutive time.
Sundowns have been dominating the league, not because they are necessarily classy but more so because they are getting the basics right while others are getting it wrong.
Truth be told, the Brazilians are probably being made to look better than they actually are due to the failings of other teams in the top flight.
The current Sundowns team are certainly not invincible. They did struggle to get going in the early stages of the season and were also knocked out of the MTN8 by Orlando Pirates. Had they really been invincible, they would have also been stronger in the Caf Champions League, a tournament which they have only won in 2016.
What creates the gulf in class between Sundowns and the rest of the pack is their level of consistency and ability to bounce back straight after lows, which no other team in South Africa can match.
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Bar Sundowns, every team in the league struggles for consistency, so much so that second place in the league is now a matter of which team wants it the most. Richards Bay, playing in their first ever top-flight campaign find themselves second. Last season, that spot went to Cape Town City and prior to that AmaZulu.
Richards Bay being second is not even surprising. For much of last season, league debutants Royal AM were also strongly in the running to finish runners-up before a late season drop in form led to them finishing third and having to settle for Caf Confederation Cup football.
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While money has certainly helped Sundowns, it is not the sole factor behind their successes. Money can help a team, but wise recruitment and selection is also needed. This is another area in which Sundowns have simply outclassed their local rivals Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
The Soweto giants have also spent a lot of money on acquiring new players in recent years, but have simply not been able to get the most out of their talent as Sundowns are able to.
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