Motsepe Opens Up On Sundowns 'Very Tough' Season

Mamelodi Sundowns Chairman Tlhopie Motsepe has opened up on why they had a different season compared to the usual past, where they were crowned Betway Premiership champions with matches to spare.

Sundowns could not end their league campaign on a high after a surprise 3-2 defeat to TS Galaxy in their last league game on Wednesday, which handed Orlando Pirates a big opportunity to end their eight-year dominance.

Check Out: Sundowns Cement Top Spot After 11-GOAL Thriller

The Brazilians finished their league season with 68 points at the top of the standings but the loss to the Rockets meant they are just three points ahead of second-placed Pirates, who have two games in hand and a superior goal difference.

Motsepe almost conceded that they would not be defending their trophy after he credited other teams raising the standards and suggested that it's a challenge for them to get even better.

"I think first of all, our coach said it at the beginning that this is going to be a very tough campaign, there are a lot of reasons why it was tough internally from a Mamelodi Sundowns perspective, people will say all sorts (of things), fatigue, coming from the Club World Cup," Motsepe said on SuperSport TV.

"But honestly, credit must be given to competition and the teams who were around us and the way they raised the standard. There's a lot of teams in the league that when we came to play them they really put up a good show, a good performance, for their own supporters and for the product.

"So for us we always welcome competition, it makes everybody better and this is one of those moments when you realize that you will be better because of your opponents and the competition that pushes you. It's the same way in global football, you never have a team that continues and continues to win alone, it's the competition around them that makes them better," Motsepe added.

Pirates need three points in their last two games against Durban City on Saturday and Orbit College on 23 May to be crowned league champions for the first time in 14 years.

Check Out: Cardoso: That Makes Me Really Afraid