logo
Mamelodi Sundowns claim eighth consecutive South African league title

Mamelodi Sundowns claim eighth consecutive South African league title

CAF15-05-2025

Published: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Mamelodi Sundowns secured the league title South Africa as they beat Chippa United 3-0 in East London on Wednesday to move into an unassailable lead.
Sundowns advanced to 70 points, three short of their own record for the most points in a single season and with one game left to play on Sunday.
It was an eighth successive league title for the all-dominant side from Pretoria, who later this month play in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final against Pyramids of Egypt.
Iqraam Rayners scored early and two goals for substitute Arthur Sales in the closing stages ensured a comfortable 3-0 away success.
It was the third game in a row that Sundowns won 3-0 and a fifth successive league victory as they romped out of sight of second placed Orlando Pirates.
On Wednesday, a sell-out crowd saw them stride to the title in imperious style, getting their quest underway early with an 11th-minute goal from Rayners. He moved to 14 goals in the scoring charts to join his Brazilian teammate Lucas Ribeiro level in the race for the Golden Boot.
Sales' attempted cross in the 69th minute hit the back post and went in for the second goal, and the Brazilian substitute got his third when Chippa goalkeeper Darren Johnson cleared the ball straight at him and he had an easy finish in the final minutes.
Sundowns play their last fixture of the league season on Sunday against Magesi and will be handed the league trophy after the game at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
With domestic matters then settled, Sundowns can focus on the Champions League final. The first leg is at Loftus next Saturday May 24, and the return in Cairo eight days later on Sunday, June 1.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Teams from 'south' have Club World Cup heat advantage: Dortmund's Kovac
Teams from 'south' have Club World Cup heat advantage: Dortmund's Kovac

Al-Ahram Weekly

time8 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

Teams from 'south' have Club World Cup heat advantage: Dortmund's Kovac

South American teams have impressed at the tournament and are unbeaten to this point, while Dortmund's South African opponents on Saturday, Mamelodi Sundowns, beat Ulsan HD in their first Group F match. Temperatures are expected to rise up to 32 degrees Celsius during the game at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, kicking off at 12:00 pm local time. Kovac's uninspired Dortmund were held to a 0-0 draw by Brazilian side Fluminense in their opening match on Tuesday. "At the moment in this tournament you see that the clubs from the south, I think they have a big advantage because of the conditions, of the heat," Croatian coach Kovac told reporters. "We're respecting every team and we know this is a very good team, from Africa, from South Africa." Brazilian side Botafogo stunned Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, while Chelsea lost against another Brazilian team in Flamengo. Some players and coaches have complained about the heat and humidity they have been forced to play in at FIFA's expanded competition, as well as fans who have also suffered. "For the spectators in the stadium it is incredibly hot, (so) now you can imagine how difficult it is for the players," continued Kovac. "(It's) 32 degrees when you're in the shade, and you're not even in the sun. So when you play inside the stadium you can assume it is 3, 4 or 5 degrees even hotter. "These are not excuses, it's just an explanation... this is very difficult, especially for the Europeans. The players from the south, for them it's easier because they are used to these temperatures." Kovac said his team would try to keep the ball away from Mamelodi because of the sweltering conditions in Ohio. "We need to prevent them from possessing the ball, we all know that it is going to be very warm, extremely hot tomorrow," said the coach. "We will play at noon tomorrow and we will play under the sunlight, we need to make sure we have the ball at all times. "If you have to run after the ball, it will mean a lot of effort." Kovac would not reveal if Jobe Bellingham, brother of Real Madrid star Jude, would be handed his first start, but said it was an option. "Don't forget to bring sunscreen, hat, and enough water to drink," Kovac warned reporters before departing. "Everyone on the bench will be under the sun for the entire time." Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso was hopeful of springing a surprise against Dortmund. "Upsets can happen when the mental conviction of the team is strong and their emotional connection is so strong that magic can happen," he told reporters. Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Short link:

Flamengo fightback floors Chelsea at Club World Cup
Flamengo fightback floors Chelsea at Club World Cup

Al-Ahram Weekly

time13 hours ago

  • Al-Ahram Weekly

Flamengo fightback floors Chelsea at Club World Cup

Pedro Neto had given Chelsea the lead in the first half but Flamengo, roared on by their frenzied supporters who made up the majority of the 54,019 crowd, did not deserve to be behind and produced a stunning fightback after the interval. Bruno Henrique came off the bench in the 56th minute and equalised for the Brazilian giants just after the hour mark before setting up Danilo to make it 2-1. Chelsea were stunned, and their hopes of pulling level again were effectively destroyed when substitute Nicolas Jackson was sent off in the 68th minute. Wallace Yan, also on as a substitute, then sealed the victory for the Rio de Janeiro club, the Brazilian league leaders, when he made it 3-1 late on. With two wins from two at the tournament, Flamengo are now on the brink of qualification for the last 16 from Group D. Chelsea, meanwhile, were unable to repeat the victory obtained in their opening game against Los Angeles FC but will be hopeful of securing a place in the knockout phase in their final group outing against Esperance of Tunisia. The result follows Botafogo's stunning success against European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, stretching the unbeaten record for South American clubs at the competition to nine matches. Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca made four changes to his line-up following the win over LAFC in Atlanta, with new signing Liam Delap coming in for his first start up front. Delap had an early effort tipped over but it was Neto who gave Chelsea the lead in the 13th minute as he pounced on a slip by Wesley to run through and score a second goal in as many games at FIFA's new competition. Jackson red card Flamengo applied plenty of pressure in the first half without really looking like scoring, but it was a different story after the break. They nearly drew level on 54 minutes when Gerson pounced on a mistake by Reece James and tried to pick his spot in the corner. His connection was poor, and the arriving Gonzalo Plata could not turn the ball in at the back post. The 34-year-old Bruno Henrique, capped twice by Brazil earlier in his career, then came on as the pendulum swung further towards Flamengo. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez tipped over a shot by Plata just before the equaliser came on 62 minutes. A Gerson cross was headed back across goal by Plata and Bruno Henrique was there to turn it in, sparking wild celebrations among the Brazilian fans clad in red and black at Lincoln Financial Field. Three minutes later Flamengo were ahead as a corner was headed down by Bruno Henrique and former Real Madrid, Manchester City and Juventus defender Danilo converted. Jackson then saw red for raking his studs into the shin of Ayrton Lucas leaving Chelsea to finish the game a man short. Enzo Fernandez was not far away from equalising, but then Flamengo wrapped up the win seven minutes from time as a Plata shot struck Wallace Yan and the ball fell kindly for the substitute to fire in. Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Short link:

CAF Announces 2025/2026 Champions League & Confederation Cup Dates
CAF Announces 2025/2026 Champions League & Confederation Cup Dates

See - Sada Elbalad

time14 hours ago

  • See - Sada Elbalad

CAF Announces 2025/2026 Champions League & Confederation Cup Dates

Rana Atef The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the 2025 editions of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup will kick off in September 2025, due to the African Nations Championship (CHAN) being held in August. CAF Sets Tournament Schedule as Follows: Preliminary Round 1 First Leg: September 19–21, 2025 Second Leg: September 26–28, 2025 Preliminary Round 2 First Leg: October 17–19, 2025 Second Leg: October 24–26, 2025 Group Stage Matchday 1: November 21–23, 2025 Matchday 2: November 28–30, 2025 Matchday 3: January 23–25, 2026 Matchday 4: January 30 – February 1, 2026 Matchday 5: February 6–8, 2026 Matchday 6: February 13–15, 2026 Quarter-finals First Leg: March 13–15, 2026 Second Leg: March 20–22, 2026 Semi-finals First Leg: April 10–12, 2026 Second Leg: April 17–19, 2026 Final To be held between May 8 and May 24, 2026 Player Registration Windows Set by CAF: First registration period (for Preliminary Round 1): August 1–31, 2025 Second registration period (for Preliminary Round 2): September 1–30, 2025 Registration period for Group Stage: October 1–31, 2025 Final registration period (for remainder of group stage & knockout rounds): January 1–31, 2026 read more Japan Stun Spain 2-1 to Qualify for World Cup Last 16 World Cup 2022: Get to Know Confirmed Line-ups of Japan and Spain Group E Decider Saudi Arabia Bid Farewell to World Cup after 2-1 Loss to Mexico Tunisia Achieve Historic Win over France but Fail to Qualify Tunisia to Clash against France in World Cup Sports Get to Know Squad of Group D Teams in World Cup Sports Al Ahly Gift EGP 70,000 to Players After Claiming Egyptian Super Cup Title Sports Bencharki Hits First 2 Goals with Al Jazira Since Leaving Zamalek Sports Arsenal Possible Line-up for Nottingham Forest News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store