Mamelodi Sundowns face Mabululu threat as Champions League campaign begins

Mamelodi Sundowns will begin their pursuit of a third Champions League title against Wiliete SC on a night when the Angolan club will look to centre-forward Mabululu to provide the danger.

The 34-year-old, whose name rhymes with the isiZulu word ibululu – a venomous puff adder known for its aggression and triangular-shaped head – has already scored three goals in this season’s competition.

Mabululu found the net in both legs of Wiliete’s 5-0 aggregate victory over Seychelles club Foresters in the first preliminary round last month. He has scored 10 goals in 40 appearances for Angola.

Wiliete, founded in 2018, remain inexperienced at continental level. Their meeting with the 15-time Betway Premiership winners, and 18-time champions overall, is therefore expected to resemble a David and Goliath contest at Estadio Nacional da Tundavala Stadium.

The Benguela-based side suffered a heavy defeat on their Champions League debut last season, losing to Tanzania’s Young Africans at the same stage. Sundowns, meanwhile, are aiming to add another continental crown to the titles they won in 2016 and 2026.

Sundowns set sights on every trophy

Sundowns have made no secret of their desire to win every available competition. They recently lifted the Fifa Intercontinental Cup after beating Al Ahli and ended Orlando Pirates’ four-year hold on the MTN8 with victory last Saturday.

The club’s silverware has brought confidence and excitement to their supporters, who have watched the Brazilians establish themselves as the leading force in the domestic game.

Pirates fans, known as The Ghost, have continued to praise their Sea Robbers despite their side’s MTN8 defeat by Sundowns in Durban. Kaizer Chiefs supporters, by contrast, can only look on with envy as their rivals have become accustomed to celebrating trophies.

Chiefs cannot match the financial resources of Patrice Motsepe, whose wealth has placed Sundowns beyond the reach of most clubs. But Amakhosi’s own history offers a different model to follow.

Chiefs facing another difficult period

Since their formation in Phefeni, Soweto, Kaizer Chiefs have built a reputation for professionalism, strong sponsorship and effective administration.

The club created by Kaizer Motaung became a benchmark in African football. The late former Sundowns boss Zola Mahobe captured that influence with the phrase: “when Kaizer Chiefs sneeze, we all catch the cold”.

The Chiefs brand remains one of the continent’s biggest. Their shirts continue to sell strongly whenever a new design is launched, while sponsors have remained with the club through difficult times.

However, the modern team is a sharp contrast to the one of the past. Frequent managerial changes have failed to revive the side, while many signings made during years without major success – interrupted by the Nedbank Cup triumph – have not delivered what was expected.

Several players arrived at Naturena as prized recruits from other clubs but produced inconsistent performances. Others came through the junior system and struggled under the responsibility of carrying the team without enough experienced, high-quality support.

Those realities do not diminish the history of the Glamour Boys. They underline instead the frustration among supporters, who feel the club’s decline has continued without a clear solution.

Many Chiefs fans believe those in charge have failed to understand the pain caused by a club into which they have invested their hearts, minds and loyalty.

Something must change. Khosi must rise, and soon.

Belated 82nd birthday wishes to Kaizer Motaung.