15 August 2019, by: Grant de Smidt

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY – HOW THE CBD HELPED DOWNS BREAK THE PSL POINTS RECORD

As Mamelodi Sundowns enter their 50th year of existence and chase a 10th PSL title, we look back on their record-breaking 71 point season in 2015-16 and the key decisions that led to them being crowned champions.

In Mosimane’s 2nd full season in charge, the side had ended as runners-up and won the Nedbank Cup. However, finishing 12 points off Stuart Baxter’s Kaizer Chiefs made it a disappointing season.

The 2015-16 season started very poorly. Sundowns crashed out of the MTN8 on penalties to Bloemfontein Celtic, before losing two of their first four league games and drawing another 0-0. That second league defeat, to newly promoted Golden Arrows, is what saw the fans try to attack the coach.

The club denied that at the time, but it has become commonly accepted that some supporters wanted the coach out by any means necessary. The Mamelodi West (Shaunaville) supporters’ branch even wrote the coach a long open letter in the media criticising the job he was doing and the decision he was taking.

The first real problem that Pitso Mosimane had to solve that season was how to properly replace former captain Alje Schut. The Dutchman had departed the club and left a real hole in central defence. His leadership, organisation ability, aerial strength and the left-footed balance he brought to the backline were all crucial.

Bangaly Soumahoro arrived in central defence, but Pitso Mosimane decided not to recall Kwanda Mngonyama from loan, making it clear that he didn’t feel the defender had reached the level needed to play for Masandawana yet. In preparation for Schut leaving, Mosimane had instead converted Rama Mphahlele from right back to centre back towards the end of the previous season.

In both of the early season PSL losses, Mphahlele was at centre back, once alongside Thabo Nthethe and once alongside Soumahoro. After the second defeat and with growing pressure on his shoulders, the coach recalled Wayne Arendse. The veteran had only been used twice in the previous campaign but his inclusion turned the season around spectacularly. Alongside Nthethe, Sundowns had two vastly experienced defenders, both renowned for their calmness.

Sundowns’ record in the next 26 league games was astounding. The duo played started every single remaining match, as the side won 21 times.

Games with Arendse and Nthethe at CB – 2015-16:

26 games
21 wins
4 draws
1 loss
15 goals conceded
16 clean sheets
67 points
2.68 points per game

With Sundowns boasting three excellent central midfielders in Hlompho Kekana, Teko Modise and Bongani Zungu – recently converted into a holding role – the coach had issues in trying to get the balance of the side right. If he used all three at the same time, then Modise would get shunted to number ten or to the right flank, neither of which suited his ability to start play from deep in his later years.

Kekana, on the other hand, would need to play more defensively when partnered with Modise, meaning a waste of his energy and long-range shooting, whilst he often lacked the positional discipline to play as a pure defensive midfielder.

Zungu was the best at protecting the defence and gave balance to the side, so could not be left out. The coach even dropped Kekana for a couple of games as he looked for an answer, but he eventually realised that Modise was presenting a tactical problem for him and started to use him more sparingly. He was not at the club by the time the 2016-17 season got underway.

When Zungu picked up a bad injury in late January with 14 league games left, Mosimane realised he could not give his attacking players the freedom they needed without a genuine anchorman. In those remaining 14 league games, Modise did not start a single one in central midfield.

Instead, the coach used Asavela Mbekile twice, Mzikayise Mashaba three times, Soumahoro four times and previously out-of-favour Tiyani Mabunda four times as holding midfielders alongside Kekana. Even when the latter missed a game due to suspension, it was Soumahoro and Mabunda together, not Modise.

Up until that point in his career, Khama Billiat had mostly – but not exclusively – been a winger. However, in the 2015-16 campaign, Mosimane moved him into a central role as a number ten or second striker. This gave him greater freedom, less defensive responsibilities and simply put him in goalscoring positions more often. That positional change is also what required the coach to have a defensively solid central midfield and to use Modise on the right at times – so Billiat could continue in his new role.

Upfront, Cuthbert Malajila was coming off the back of a superb 2014-15 season where he has netted 10 league goals and gave 10 league assists. No player in the league had more goal contributions than him. Even so, Mosimane signed Leonardo Castro and by the sixth league game, he had taken Malajila’s spot.

The Colombian was utterly superb as the focal point for Sundowns. Despite his size, his link play was really strong and his run from December until late April of 10 goals and four assists in 15 PSL appearances saw him in unstoppable form. Billiat was finally fulfilling his potential as he scored 12 times and assisted 14 more to win the PSL Footballer of the Season award, and Keagan Dolly provided the third part of the CBD trio (Castro, Billiat, Dolly).

The latter played as a pure winger, defending very well and leading counter attacks with his dribbling. His four goals and four assists may have been relatively meagre, but he helped to balance out the freedom which Billiat enjoyed.

Dolly had been signed a year earlier from Ajax Cape Town, earning a major pay rise. He was then loaned straight back to Ajax on his new salary and he delivered a really poor season there. Yet, as soon as he joined Downs properly, he was able to produce fantastic performances.

Another way Sundowns could give Billiat what was essentially “Ronaldo freedom” – zero defensive duties and all his teammates covering any gaps defensively – was for Castro to drop back or play wide on the flanks. This allowed Billiat to be the highest man when Sundowns were leading games and looking to play on the break. His pace was more suitable than Castro’s for those counters, whilst the Colombian would defend more diligently than the Zimbabwean.

CBD PSL STATS – 2015-16

Goals:
Billiat 12
Castro 10
Dolly 4

Assists:
Billiat 14
Dolly 4
Castro 4

Once Pitso Mosimane had found the perfect balance and personnel, his Sundowns team were a winning machine. After four points from their first four games, they took 67 from the next 26 games, 2.58 points per game.

In the final 10 league matches, they picked up 25 points and blew away Bidvest Wits, their nearest challengers. With six games to go, Wits were just four points behind with a match against Sundowns to play but they lost that game and took just six points from their final six matches.

Sundowns’ away form that season was remarkable as they won 10 and drew three of their 15 clashes on the road, taking 33 points.

FINAL 10 PSL MATCHES – 2015-16 SEASON:

The Sundowns squad did not just work well as a team and possess incredible, relentless match-winners, but The Brazilians also had a fantastic technical team. Mosimane had two excellent assistants in Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi, one younger and full of new ideas and one older and a good sounding board.

Downs also had three analysts – Goolam Valodia, Musi Matlaba and Mario Masha – to study the upcoming opponents, one to study the team’s performance and thirdly, one to help with both duties. Valodia would often travel to watch opponents play games live, including for CAF Champions League ties where footage was not readily available.

A key member of the staff was conditioning trainer, Kabelo Rangoaga. Still at the club today, the disciple of Dutch coach and coach educator, Raymond Verheijen was tasked with keeping the squad fully fresh and injury-free through an extremely demanding schedule.

The team’s stats for that PSL season in terms of goalscoring were extraordinary:

Most goals scored in PSL (55)
Most counter-attack goals in the PSL (15)
Most open play goals scored from build-up play (20)
Best defensive record in the PSL (20 goals conceded)

The 2015-16 season still sets the benchmark today, not only for the record points total but for the level of performances, coaching master-class, interplay in attack and defensive teamwork. That team also lifted the Telkom Knockout and CAF Champions League so it is no wonder that Pitso Mosimane has spoken about trying to recreate the “CBD” by signing a strong target man this off-season.

Sundowns teams in subsequent years have been absolutely fantastic too, but are still one notch below that 2015-16 side, which is arguably better than the 1997-2000 Downs side. There is a strong argument that the CBD-inspired team is the best the PSL-era has ever seen.

Billiat was the brightest star in the Sundowns galaxy that season, so it’s only fitting that his words after the title was won are used to highlight the secret of their success:

“It has been great. We came to a point where we understood each other. We talked more off the field which helped. We watched videos and explained to each other what we should do next. It’s been great working together. And finally it paid off and we are league champions.”

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