Motsepe reflects on a year of extremes for Sundowns

Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Tlhopie Motsepe has described 2025 as a defining and “testing” year for the club, characterized by a unique blend of historic achievements and unprecedented continental heartbreaks.

In his year-end address published in the club’s December Digital Magazine, Motsepe offered a candid reflection on a season that saw the “Brazilians” maintain their domestic dominance while grappling with missed opportunities on the African stage.

Continental Heartbreak and Lessons Learned at Sundowns

The chairman pointed to two significant setbacks that defined the club’s 2025 campaign. The men’s senior team came agonisingly close to a second CAF Champions League star, only to suffer a narrow 3-2 aggregate defeat to Egyptian side Pyramids FC in a tense final in Cairo.

Equally surprising was the outcome for Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies. For the first time since the inception of the CAF Women’s Champions League in 2021, the decorated side failed to qualify for the continental showpiece, falling in the COSAFA regional qualifiers to ZESCO Ndola Girls.

“2025 was a year that tested us in many ways,” Motsepe wrote. “But as we have learned time and again, tests do not come to break us; they come to reveal our abilities and prepare us for the future. It was a year of magical highs and heart-breaking lows.”

The Title Race: “Decided in May, Not December”: Says Motsepe

Domestically, the landscape looks slightly different as the league enters the AFCON hiatus. Sundowns currently trail rivals Orlando Pirates by two points after 13 fixtures—a rare position for a club that has won eight consecutive league titles.

However, Motsepe dismissed any talk of a crisis, urging the Yellow Nation to remain steadfast. “While we may not be where we aspire to be at this point, history has taught us that league titles are decided in May, not December,” he noted.

The chairman’s letter also served as a tribute to two foundational figures of the club who passed away this year: former owner Solly Krok and former chairman Angelo Tsichlas. Motsepe credited their vision for laying the groundwork for the modern-day powerhouse Sundowns has become.

As the focus shifts to the ongoing 2025 AFCON in Morocco, Motsepe expressed immense pride in the club’s heavy representation. Seven Sundowns players, including Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams and midfield engine Teboho Mokoena, along with technical staff members like Kennedy Mweene (Zimbabwe), are currently flying the Masandawana flag on the continent.

“We are immensely proud of you and look forward to welcoming you back healthy and ready for the year ahead,” Motsepe concluded.