Raja Casablanca players now want moves to Mamelodi Sundowns, says Fadlu Davids

Fadlu Davids says Mamelodi Sundowns’ success and growing reputation have made the South African club a preferred destination for players across Africa.

The former Raja Casablanca coach was speaking after Sundowns won the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup, beating Al Ahli Saudi at Loftus Versfeld last week.

Davids credited Sundowns owner Dr Patrice Motsepe with establishing a clear long-term plan to turn the club into one of the continent’s leading forces.

He said that vision was not fully understood when it was first outlined, but Sundowns’ sustained success has now made its impact clear. According to Davids, players at Raja Casablanca would approach him about helping them secure a move to the South African club.

“It’s very important for a leader with vision and know where he wants to take the club, not everybody understood what he meant when he said [he wants Sundowns to dominate in Africa],” Davids said on Radio 2000.

“But now we see it, just for an example, I think any player at Raja [Casablanca] would always come to me and say please get me into Sundowns.

“Everybody wants to play for Sundowns. Everybody fears Sundowns. That is just the visibility in CAF Champions League, always being in semi-finals, finals.

“And really, yes, only two Champions Leagues titles, but it’s not easy to win the Champions League. They have always been there and thereabouts.”

Sundowns have regularly reached the latter stages of the CAF Champions League, appearing in semi-finals and finals despite having won the competition twice.

Davids also said Motsepe’s influence had extended beyond Sundowns. By raising standards at the club, he argued, the owner had forced other South African teams to improve as well, lifting the quality of the entire league.

“It’s only through visionary leadership like Dr Patrice Motsepe, what he’s done not only to Sundowns, but in South African football, because as he raised the bar, the other clubs had to raise the bar as well.

“It lifted the entire league here. So a huge, huge credit for our president of CAF at the moment.”

Davids’ comments underline the status Sundowns have built in African football under Motsepe’s leadership. Their continued presence in the decisive stages of the CAF Champions League, combined with their latest international trophy, has strengthened the club’s appeal to players beyond South Africa.

The club’s progress has also made it a team opponents respect and fear, while its ambitions have helped raise expectations across the domestic game.