Mamelodi Sundowns F.C.
Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, commonly known as the Sundowns, is a South African soccer team based in Mamelodi, Pretoria, Gauteng. They were founded in 1970 and play their home games at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, which seats about 51,800. The club is owned by Patrice Motsepe and chaired by Tlhopie Motsepe, with Miguel Cardoso as head coach. They compete in the South African Premier Division, the top league in the country, and were the champions in the 2024–25 season.
Sundowns are the most successful club in the South African Premier Division era, with 15 league titles (18 in total when including other competitions). They have also won the Nedbank Cup six times, the MTN 8 four times, and the Telkom Knockout four times. Continentally, they won the CAF Champions League in 2016 and the CAF Super Cup in 2017, and they were voted CAF Club of the Year in 2016. They were the first South African club to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, finishing 6th.
In 2021, Sundowns became the first African club to win both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Women’s Champions League titles. In 2023, they were champions of the inaugural African Football League. The club is widely regarded as one of Africa’s most valuable football teams, with a market value around €29 million in the 2023–24 season.
Style wise, Sundowns are known for an attacking approach nicknamed "Shoe Shine & Piano," which uses quick, short passes and has been likened to tiki-taka and Total Football.
Origins and rise: Sundowns began in Marabastad in the 1960s and moved to Mamelodi in 1970. They climbed through South African leagues, faced ups and downs, and gradually built a powerhouse under various coaches. Patrice Motsepe bought a controlling stake in 2004 and has steered the club toward sustained domestic and continental success, including a historic CAF Champions League title in 2016 and a series of league titles through the late 2010s and early 2020s. In 2025, Sundowns also made a landmark showing in the FIFA Club World Cup, recording their first win in the tournament.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:36 (CET).