Why Sundowns’ Supremacy Is Reshaping the Cup Mindset in South African Football
a woman in black sportswear stretches before a workout in a bright room near a window.
Over the last decade, Mamelodi Sundowns have not just won titles — they have rewritten the rules of ambition in the Betway Premiership. The league has become a procession rather than a contest, and in response an unspoken consensus has emerged across the PSL: if you cannot realistically catch Sundowns over 30 matches, then your best (and sometimes only) chance of lifting silverware lies in the cups.
Sundowns celebrating the league is no longer realistic for most
Sundowns have won eight of the last nine league titles and are on course for a ninth in 2025/26. The gap is not merely financial — it is structural and psychological.
Unrivalled squad depth and continuity of management
A recruitment model that targets specific profiles rather than marquee names for the sake of headlines
A points tally that now regularly exceeds 70 — a threshold few clubs have reached even once in the last ten years
Former Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi once explained:
“Most teams are always worried about playing against Sundowns … but if they don’t beat all the so-called smaller teams consistently, we’ll still come back triumphant. The league reflects that inconsistency among the others more than our strength alone.”
Orlando Pirates assistant coach Mandla Ncikazi echoed the same sentiment when explaining why even the traditional “big three” struggle to mount a sustained challenge:
“Sundowns don’t just buy players — they buy players who fit exactly what they want to do. Most clubs sign whoever is available or whoever makes the headlines. That’s the difference over 30 games.”
The numbers back them up. In the last five completed seasons, the team that finished second averaged 16 points behind Sundowns. Closing that gap requires near-perfection against the rest of the pack — something almost no one has managed for an entire campaign.
Cups: Where Hope Still Lives
Knockout football compresses everything into a handful of matches. Depth matters less, form on the day matters more, and the mental edge can swing a tie.That is why clubs have quietly recalibrated their objectives:
The MTN8 has been won by SuperSport United (2019), Orlando Pirates (2022 & 2024), and Stellenbosch FC (2025) in recent years.
The Nedbank Cup has gone to TS Galaxy (2019), TTM (2021), Orlando Pirates (2023), and Stellenbosch again (2025).
Even the Carling Knockout (formerly Telkom Knockout) has been claimed by Cape Town City, Stellenbosch, and Sekhukhune in the last three seasons.
Not a single one of those trophies went to Chloorkop.
Voices from the Dugout
Orlando Pirates coach José Riveiro admitted openly before the 2025 MTN8 final:
“For us the cups are the priority this season. We have to be realistic — to win the league you need to be almost perfect for ten months. In cups you can be perfect for four or five games and you are champions.”
Stellenbosch FC boss Steve Barker, fresh from completing a cup double in 2024/25, was even more direct:
“We know we don’t have Sundowns’ budget or squad. But over 180 minutes anyone can beat anyone. That’s where we put our energy.”
Even within Sundowns there is quiet acknowledgement that knockout football exposes them. After failing to win a single domestic cup in the 2024/25 campaign despite running away with the league, one club insider told IOL:
“The league is almost automatic now, but the cups hurt. Not winning a cup makes a dominant season feel incomplete.”
What It Means Going Forward
Expect the trend to accelerate in 2025/26 and beyond:
Mid-table and smaller clubs will openly rotate and rest players for league games that fall between cup fixtures.
Cup competitions will attract bigger crowds and more corporate interest as the only realistic route to glory for 15 of the 16 teams.
Sundowns will continue to bank league titles — but their “invincibles” aura takes a dent every time an underdog lifts a cup at Moses Mabhida or FNB Stadium.
Final Thought
Mamelodi Sundowns have turned the Betway Premiership into their personal playground. In doing so they have unintentionally done South African football a favour: they have made the domestic cups matter again.For everyone else, the message is clear — if you want to taste silverware and hear your name sung by thousands, the cup is now the real battlefield.And on any given day in a one-off cup tie, David still has a chance against Goliath.
