Fellow coaches were swift in paying tribute to Pitso Mosimane and his Premier Soccer League title winning Mamelodi Sundowns team after they secured the title on Wednesday night, including a hearty congratulations from deposed champions Kaizer Chiefs.
“It’s a pity we have had to surrender the championship and we must acknowledge we didn’t do all we were capable of, but we must immediately congratulate Pitso Mosimane, his staff, his players and the Sundowns fans,” said Steve Komphela, who was Mosimane’s assistant when he was Bafana Bafana coach.
“It was a great season for them. An 18-match run where they were unbeaten, that was a huge boost. It only inspires you to want to make the coming season more challenging and that is why we say we are looking forward to the coming season. Congratulations to Mamelodi Sundowns,” said Komphela.
Mosimane’s first coach, Jomo Sono, who plucked him from obscurity as a teenager and set him on the path to a professional career in the game, added: “They deserve it, they have been consistent the whole year.
“They’ve got quality players and there is no coach in the PSL who wouldn’t want to coach that team.
“They are brilliant and I have said it for a long time that they will win the league. They are too good.”
Roger de Sa of Ajax Cape Town added to the chorus of praise and reiterated that Sundowns were worthy champions, remembering too the day the tide turned for an under-pressure Mosimane.
“I call him Professor Pitso and congrats to the prof, he has done a great job,” said De Sa.
“If I go back, we went there to play them in the first round of the league and he was under so much pressure, they were lining up to lynch him that day.
“From that game onwards he went on something like a 20-game unbeaten run, so it is amazing how things turned around.
“But they are deserved champions, they have the squad and Pitso has done a great job again. He is not shy to say he wants to win everything, which is fantastic, but he walks the talk and we can be very proud that he is a South African coach as well.”
Bloemfontein Celtic coach Serame Letsoaka said he wanted to congratulate Downs and “especially Pitso”.
“They did very well. There was a stage when Pitso was under pressure, but the patience from management was brilliant and they deserved it after they went through a very difficult period.”
Conductor proves he has Midas touch
“It’s a pity we have had to surrender the championship and we must acknowledge we didn’t do all we were capable of, but we must immediately congratulate Pitso Mosimane, his staff, his players and the Sundowns fans,” said Steve Komphela, who was Mosimane’s assistant when he was Bafana Bafana coach.
“It was a great season for them. An 18-match run where they were unbeaten, that was a huge boost. It only inspires you to want to make the coming season more challenging and that is why we say we are looking forward to the coming season. Congratulations to Mamelodi Sundowns,” said Komphela.
Mosimane’s first coach, Jomo Sono, who plucked him from obscurity as a teenager and set him on the path to a professional career in the game, added: “They deserve it, they have been consistent the whole year.
“They’ve got quality players and there is no coach in the PSL who wouldn’t want to coach that team.
“They are brilliant and I have said it for a long time that they will win the league. They are too good.”
Roger de Sa of Ajax Cape Town added to the chorus of praise and reiterated that Sundowns were worthy champions, remembering too the day the tide turned for an under-pressure Mosimane.
“I call him Professor Pitso and congrats to the prof, he has done a great job,” said De Sa.
“If I go back, we went there to play them in the first round of the league and he was under so much pressure, they were lining up to lynch him that day.
“From that game onwards he went on something like a 20-game unbeaten run, so it is amazing how things turned around.
“But they are deserved champions, they have the squad and Pitso has done a great job again. He is not shy to say he wants to win everything, which is fantastic, but he walks the talk and we can be very proud that he is a South African coach as well.”
Bloemfontein Celtic coach Serame Letsoaka said he wanted to congratulate Downs and “especially Pitso”.
“They did very well. There was a stage when Pitso was under pressure, but the patience from management was brilliant and they deserved it after they went through a very difficult period.”
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