Mudau warns Sundowns face another demanding Betway Premiership title race

Mamelodi Sundowns legend Johannes ‘Bricks’ Mudau says the reigning CAF Champions League champions should expect another difficult campaign in the Betway Premiership after a sluggish start to the season.

Sundowns secured a narrow 2-3 victory away to TS Galaxy FC at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday, but needed a late push to complete the comeback. Right-back Khuliso Mudau played a decisive role, creating the chances that led to both the equaliser and the winning goal.

The result has not fully convinced the former Sundowns player, who believes the club will face a serious challenge in its attempt to reclaim the domestic title. Last season, Sundowns lost out to Orlando Pirates in a closely contested race between the two leading clubs.

“Yesterday TS Galaxy had a good start, and Sundowns were late starters anyway, but they managed to win the game in the last 10 minutes,” Mudau tells KickOff.

The match-winning contribution of Khuliso Mudau was particularly praised by the Sundowns great. He said the defender’s willingness to bring his team-mates into the game had made the difference.

“Mudau created two chances that resulted in equalising and winning the game. Mudau won it for Sundowns; he made a huge difference by showing no selfishness. I like the way he was pushing and sharing the ball with his teammates. He was never selfish.

Mudau also questioned whether Sundowns’ opening performance offered a reliable indication of how they would fare over the full season. He described the team as slow to settle and said he had been unimpressed by the way they began the campaign.

“It’s difficult to tell how Sundowns are going to do this season since it depends on the season, but this Sundowns team was sluggish; they were slow starters. I wasn’t impressed by their start this season.

With rivals strengthening their squads, Mudau expects the battle for the championship to be more competitive. He said the quality and commitment of new signings at other clubs meant Sundowns would not be able to rely on their previous dominance.

“If Sundowns win the league this season, it’s not going to be easy. It’s going to be another tough season for Sundowns in the race for the championship. The other teams have bolstered their teams well. They have signed committed players; hence, I say it’s not going to be a walk in the park.”