Given their domestic dominance in recent seasons, losing has almost become a foreign concept for Mamelodi Sundowns.

So, when their hopes of a second successive treble were dashed in a 2-1 loss to Stellenbosch in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinals at the weekend, it came as a surprise to many.

After all, the defeat was the first for the club since 36-year-old Rulani Mokwena was installed as the club’s head coach, having previously served as co-coach alongside Manqoba Mngqithi.

The club’s unbeaten run stretched back to October 2022, when Mokwena was handed the reins following an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 semifinals.

In Mokwena’s first match at the helm, Masandawana walloped Maritzburg United 5-0. They would remain undefeated in 23 matches after that – until Stellenbosch happened.  

Stellenbosch FC players celebrate victory after the 2023 Nedbank Cup quarterfinal game between Stellenbosch FC and Mamelodi Sundowns at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on 15 April 2023. (Photo: Ryan Wilkisky / BackpagePix)

Trendsetters

Sundowns also set a South African top-flight record of 15 league wins on the trot this season. That streak, coincidentally, was also brought to an end by a 1-1 draw against Stellenbosch – an indication that Steve Barker’s men have acquired a taste for spoiling Sundowns’ party whenever possible.

Speaking after the defeat to Stellies at the weekend, Mokwena told journalists that the feeling of losing is one the team does not “want to get used to”.

However, according to the Masandawana mentor (despite this latest disappointment), the club remains the gold standard on the domestic scene.

“When you hear opposition coaches who also have a competitive streak saying that they’re the second-best team in the country, it is because Sundowns is the benchmark … by far the best team in the country. But that’s not good enough. You’re only as good as your last performance in football,” said Mokwena.

“We’ve got to prove every single day, every single training session, and every single match that we are the best team in the country. That means we have the responsibility and the pressure of playing under that mark, with that tag behind us. It’s not easy … it’s the hardest thing, but it’s the best thing to give you the competitive edge.”

The Tshwane side recently retained their DStv Premiership title for a record-extending sixth consecutive time.

In the process, the juggernaut set another record – winning the league with the least number of games played in the Premier Soccer League era (which began in 1996). Mokwena’s men won their latest league crown with seven games to spare.

Peter Shalulile of Mamelodi Sundowns is challenged by Olwethu Makhanya of Stellenbosch FC during the 2023 Nedbank Cup quarterfinal game between Stellenbosch FC and Mamelodi Sundowns at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on 15 April 2023. (Photo: Ryan Wilkisky / BackpagePix)

Luck of the draw

The Sundowns’ head coach took the opportunity to praise his players for their overall efforts this season, even though they failed to defend the domestic knockout competitions’ (MTN8 and Nedbank Cup) titles they won alongside the Premiership last season.

“The hard one is always the league. That’s a competition where you have to be consistent to win it. It’s not always the best team that wins the cup. Sometimes you need the rub of the green to be able to get the results. Even though I thought they were better than us, they had more luck than us,” Mokwena said after the Stellies defeat.

After vanquishing the defending champions, Stellenbosch will face fellow Premiership outfit, Sekhukhune United, in one of the Cup semifinals. The other semifinal will see archrivals Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs butt heads once more. The two matches will be played on 6 May.

As for Sundowns, they still have the CAF Champions League to fight for. This weekend they play their quarterfinal first-leg game against Algerian giant CR Belouizdad. DM