Staff Reporter.
Mamelodi Sundowns have completed another comprehensive win on their pre-season tour of Europe as they completed a 4-1 victory over Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam on Tuesday.
Peter Shalulile scored a brace to go with goals from new signings Lucas Ribeiro and Thapelo Maseko in a result that will be hugely pleasing for coach Rulani Mokwena.
You cannot read too much into pre-season fixtures, but the comprehensive manner of the win suggests things are clicking for The Brazilians as they prepare to compete for six trophies in the 2023/24 campaign.
Sparta are a topflight team in the Netherlands and they were themselves coming off a 4-0 win over Zulte-Waregem at the weekend.
Sundowns defeated another topflight Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles 1-0 on Sunday and will face another team from the country in a final friendly against NAC Breda.
They have been enjoying warm European summer having also played to a 2-2 draw with Belgian topflight side Gent on Friday in a game where The Brazilians led 2-0 thanks to goals from Ribeiro and forgotten man Rivaldo Coetzee. Sammy Seabi scored the only goal against Go Ahead Eagles.
They open their DStv Premiership season against Sekhukhune United on 4 August.
Meanwhile SuperSport United on Tuesday announced an exciting partnership with Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in the birth of the ladies’ team called TUT Matsatsantsa Ladies FC.
This historic merger comes after SuperSport United and TUT have partnered for the club to play all the 2023/24 first team and DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) matches at the University.
The team, affectionately known as #RedArmy was founded in 2009 as the high-performance ladies’ team for TUT.
TUT Ladies FC currently plays in the SAFA National Women’s League: Hollywoodbets Super League to which they finished position two since its inception in 2019-2020 season and 2021, Varsity Football competition to which they are six times consecutive champions from 2014-2019 and USSA National Institutional Championships.
Elsewhere the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] have thrown out Royal AM’s application to have their FIFA sanction overturned.
Royal AM filed an appeal for “provisional measures” on 10 July and maintained they wanted to provide their version of events regarding the Samir Nurkovic matter.
Royal AM, which plays in the DSTV Premiership, is owned by Shauwn Mkhize. She is the daughter of Florence Mkhize, who hailed from Umbumbulu in the south of Durban.
The beleaguered Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) Local Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has also come under fire for approving a three-year R27 million sponsorship for Royal AM and Kaizer Chiefs new Kappa kit is out.
Chiefs, one of South Africa’s premier football Clubs, and globally renowned Italian sportswear brand, Kappa, conquered all before them when they first partnered up in 1989, with Amakhosi winning a sensational quadruple of titles in the first year of their Kappa sponsorship.
The seven-year partnership spanning 1989 to 1996 was a hugely successful one of glitz, glamour and glory for the Club, which revolutionised South African sport as it captured the imagination of the nation, with Chiefs winning 12 trophies with Kappa in a dominant era.
Now, the exciting reunion of the collaboration between these two iconic brands will at the start of the 2023/24 season see Kaizer Chiefs triumphantly take to the pitch in their striking new gold and black Kappa home kit.
Designed to evoke a sense of the Club’s rich heritage and tradition, the home jersey is predominantly gold – symbolising Amakhosi’s commitment to success and excellence – with bold black inflections accentuating the sleek design, which will be complemented by either black or gold shorts on the field.
The home kit pays tribute to Kaizer Chiefs’ prestigious legacy, instilling both players and supporters, who are always behind the team, with a sense of pride.
In addition to the chic home kit, Kaizer Chiefs and Kappa have also introduced a beguiling green and gold away kit for the upcoming season. Inspired by the natural beauty of South Africa, the green represents the lush landscapes of the nation, while the gold trim symbolises victory and the accomplishment of the Club over the past 53 years.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.