Mamelodi Sundowns will be DStv Premiership champions by February or March, according to Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos.
When speaking about the gulf in class in the South African top-flight at present, Broos stated he feels Sundowns aren’t challenged enough in the domestic game.
He also suggested it’s one of the reasons Sundowns are perhaps falling short in the CAF Champions League.
“When you play every week against very good opponents, you become better, everyone becomes better so for Pirates, maybe they will not agree with me, [Sundowns] win their games too easy, this is not good for them,” Broos said.
“This is not good for them, it should be a battle every week to win the game, and you see in Europe in those big competitions, the Champions League final is always played by one of those [big] countries because every week they have to struggle and battle to win.”
Earlier this season when Masandwana pipped Orlando Pirates to a 1-0 win at Orlando Stadium, PSL Footballer of the Season Teboho Mokoena said it was a test that would help them in the Champions League.
It further added to Broos’ claims but he stopped short of stating it’s the primary reason and with the likely public outrage of his statement, he asked to be clarified in his opinion.
“Maybe one of the reasons [not the main reason] that every time Sundowns are in the quarter-final and semi-finals and then out, because it’s a very tough game, very tough opponents, so it’s not good for Sundowns,” the 2017 AFCON winner added.
“I hope that Chiefs and Pirates are becoming again the teams they were before I was here, it was a struggle between those teams to be champion, the last two or three years it’s not a battle anymore, Sundowns are already ten points ahead and more.
“So yes they will be champions again in February, March, we know already the champions again and it’s not good for South African football.”
Sundowns are seven points ahead of second-placed Golden Arrows after eight games played – but missed out on the MTN8 title to Pirates on penalties this weekend.
