Mamelodi Sundowns F.C.

National Soccer League was replaced by Premier Soccer League for the 1996–97 season. Sundowns won three consecutive titles from 1998 to 2000 as well as being Bob Save Super Bowl winners in 1998 and Rothmans Cup winners in 1999.

After dominating the local league by winning the league title three times in a row Sundowns extended they focus to continental glory. In 2001 the club became only the second South African team to reach the prestigious CAF Champions League when they defeated Petro Atlético in the semi finals to reach their first continental cup final. The club reached the final of the 2001 CAF Champions League where they were defeated 4–1 on aggregate by Egyptian club Al Ahly.

Under Tsichlas the team became the best in South Africa and won more trophies than any other team in the country.

In 2004, mining magnate Patrice Motsepe bought a 51% share in the club and later took total control of the club by buying the remaining shares, thus becoming the sole owner and shareholder of the club. Under their new owner, Sundowns picked up their first piece of silverware for six years in May 2006 when co-coaches Miguel Gamondi and Neil Tovey oversaw Sundowns' triumph in the PSL, the seventh league title in their history.

After a slow start to the 2006–07 season, Gamondi and Tovey were relieved of their positions, and Gordon Igesund took over as head coach. Under Igesund, Sundowns defended their title in emphatic style, running away with the trophy. They failed to win the 'double', losing to Ajax Cape Town in the 2007 ABSA Cup final.

After a stuttering start to the 2009–10 season, an impressive run through the second half of the season saw the club to second position in the final league standings. The club nevertheless parted ways with coach Hristo Stoichkov.

In the 2010–11 season, Antonio Lopez Habas, who was the assistant coach under Stoichkov, took over the reins of the senior team. Sundowns made its best ever start to a League season and topped the league standings at the end of the first round. The second round of the league proved more competitive and Sundowns were in the hunt for the league title until the second last match. Habas resigned in February, citing personal reasons and went back to Spain. Assistant coach Ian Gorowa was appointed as interim head coach.

In 2011 highly rated Dutch tactician Johan Neeskens was appointed as the coach of Sundowns in a bid to awaken the sleeping giant that hadn't won silverware since winning the 2008 Nedbank cup. The Dutch-born coach gave a number of young stars from the development opportunities to impress in the senior team. Even though the Dutch mentor made the team play free-flowing and entertaining brand of football his failure to capture silverware led to his demise. In 2012 under the leadership of Neeskens the club lost the 2012 Nedbank final 2-1 to Tshwane rivals Supersport Utd. His coaching stint at Chloorkop was short-lived as the impatient and demanding Sundowns Supporters exerted pressure to the management to sack him. When the team failed to win the 2012 Telkom Knockout final against Bloemfontein Celtics Neeskens got sacked as the head coach of the Tshwane based side as the team was also languishing in the relegation zone.

On 2 December 2012 Pitso Mosimane took over as head coach and under his leadership Mamelodi Sundowns won the league 2013/2014 and 2015/2016 season. Mosimane oversaw the rise of Sundowns to win the CAF Champions League, which was the goal of owner Patrice Motsepe when he bought the club in 2004. 2017 Sundowns became the first team in South Africa to win the Caf Super cup by defeating TP Mazembe from DRC.

On 4 March 2012, the team set a remarkable South African record in the Nedbank Cup when they beat Powerlines by a score of 24–0.[1][2]

Starting line up for CAF Champions League 2016 Final first leg

Onyango

Arendse

Nthethe

Mbekile

Langerman

Dolly

Tau

Kekana ( C )

Mabunda

Laffor

Billiat

 Mamelodi sundowns lineup Oct 2016

Sundowns were eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the 2016 CAF Champions League, but were placed back in the competition after Congolese team Vita Club were disqualified from the competition for fielding a suspended player.[3] In their journey for gold Sundowns open their campaign with a annulled 2-0 win against Algeria's ES Setif courtesy of Mabunda and Khama Billiat goals.

Despite the disappointment of losing 3 points, that did not hult their performance .On 26 June 2016 they faced on Nigerian giants Enyimba International F.C. in the Lucas Masterpieces Moripe stadium they beat the Nigerians 2-1 with goals from Leonardo Castro and his teammate Wayne Arendse in the 42nd and 78th minutes respectively. Their good form continued to Egypt causing the greatest upset Egyptians could thing of, they defeated Egyptian giants Zamalek SC with goals from Mabunda in the 17th minute Ibrahim levelled the scoreline in the 36th minute ,in a closely contested second half The Brazilian outfit prevailed with a 66th minute goal from their star player Khama Billiat which ended the match in favour of the Brazilians 2-1. The repeated this by beating the Egyptian giants 1-0 this time with an Own goal from Ali Gabr in the 79th minute. The win assured Downs a place in the semifinals , but they needed to end their group stage campaign on a high away against Enyimba .Playing with young players Downs succumbed to their first defeat by 3-1 on a rainy slippery field.

In the Semis they faced on a high with confidence Zambian team ZESCO United in their home stadium Levy Mwanawasa Stadium they lost to quick succession goals just a minute apart in the 54th and 56th minutes from Mwanza ,Billiat netted a goal with Just 4 minutes plus additional time left in the 86th minute to bring the score to 2-1 ,leaving Downs with not much to do in the second leg. In the second leg Downs did what was needed of them by winning the match 2-0 thanks to the Liberian Anthony Laffor who scored with just 5 minutes into the first half ,the second goal came in the second half from the young Percy Tau in the 64th minute. Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. reached the final of the competition for the first time since 2001 CAF Champions League final where they lost to Al Ahly SC , they also reached a 4th final for South African clubs (1 win and 2 losses).

They continued in the competition all the way to the final, where they beat Egypt's Zamalek SC 3–1 on aggregate, claiming their first ever continental title and becoming only the second South African team to be crowned champions of Africa.[3]

South African League titles (12)- Record:

• Premier Soccer League

Winners (9): 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018-19

Runners-up (3): 2009–10, 2014–15, 2016-17

• National Soccer League

Winners (3): 1988, 1989–90, 1992–93

Runners-up (2): 1990–91, 1994–95

• Nedbank Cup

Winners (4): 1986, 1998, 2008, 2014–15

Runners-up (5): 1989, 2000, 2001, 2007, 2011–12

• Telkom Knockout

Winners (4): 1990, 1999, 2015, 2019

Runners-up (4): 1997, 1998, 2007, 2012

• MTN 8

Winners (3): 1988, 1990, 2007

Runners-up (6): 1992, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2008, 2016

• CAF Champions League:

• CAF Super Cup:

• African Club of the Year 2016
• South African team of the year 2016
• PSL team of the season 2015-16, 2013-14

Shel Helix Cup

Winners : 2018

As of 09 March 2020

Type	Nat	Name	Records
Most starts		Daniel Mudau	390
Most goals		Mwamba phiri	172
Most capped player		Katlego Mphela	32
Most starts in a season		Themba Mnguni	48 (1997–98)
Most goals in a season		Bennett Masinga	33 (1990)
Record victory		vs South Africa Powerlines FC	24–0 (4 March 2012, Nedbank Cup)
Inter-record victory
Record defeat		vs Africa Sports	1–6 (4 November 2000, CAF Champions League)

Source:[6]

• Orange = In progess
• Gold = Champions
• Silver = Runner up

As of 09 March 2020