The success of current Dstv Premiership runaway log leaders, Mamelodi Sundowns has been largely attributed to their healthy financial backing from club president Patrice Motsepe’s Millions.
The assumption, although partly true, has overshadowed the excellent work done behind the scenes at Downs.
ThisIsFootball.Africa decided to look deeper to find more factors contributing to the yellow nation’s success.
A solid technical team.
When it comes to the coaching and backroom staff, Mamelodi Sundowns have no equal in the league.
With Rulani Mokwena, an astute tactician and a dedicated student of the game as head coach, Mamelodi Sundowns have someone who knows the team’s culture and expectations, having served the club for many years under Coach Pitso Mosimane, as well as working as a co-coach with Manqoba Mgqithi before he was appointed head coach.
Add the knowledgeable Steve Komphela and goalkeeper coach Wendell Robinson to the equation and you get an experienced and solid technical team on the bench.
The backroom staff.
The Mamelodi Sundowns’ backroom staff is next to none in the league, which shows how much the team has embraces modern trends in football.
The work done in the analysis department by Senior Performance Analyst, Goolam Valodia, analysts Dayle Solomon and Mario Masha as well as Data Analyst Duani Baker, ensures that the coaching staff has all the information they need about their opponents, as well as feedback on their performance as a team.
With that information and data available first hand, Sundowns can plan and execute telling performances on the field of play.
Added to that is their partnership with one of the world’s leading football data companies, Statsbomb, which gives the Brazilians access to a core data set that can help with scouting and opposition analysis.
Spot on scouting.
The Mamelodi Sundowns scouting department, which includes international scout (Africa and South America) and player loan manager Tera Maliwa, is doing a fantastic job to help the team achieve its performance objectives by scouting talent that fits with the identity of the team.
And they don’t always have to break the bank to bring top talent to Chloorkop.
The likes of Mothobi Mvala, Grant Kekana, Neo Maema, Sifiso Ngobeni, Khuliso Mudau, etc, didn’t cost the Brazilians an arm and a leg, but they were still perfect fits to enhance the team’s personality on the pitch.
Clear playing philosophy.
Mention the words shoe shine and piano, and immediately a football fan will know what you are talking about.
Mamelodi Sundowns have a clear playing philosophy that creates synergy amongst the players, with each player almost always aware of what his teammate’s next move might be.
It is always difficult to stop a team like that. Remember Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona with their Tiki-taka?
There is clearly a lot of smart and hard work being done behind the scenes at Mamelodi Sundowns, which is contributing to their success as a team, not everything is about Motsepe’s money.
Also Read: Why Andile Jali should Leave Mamelodi Sundowns
