Mamelodi Sundowns need one point to seal 5th consecutive league title

Mamelodi Sundowns need one point from their DStv Premiership clash with Cape Town City in Pretoria on Wednesday to clinch a record-extending fifth straight league title.

The favourable situation for the dominant club in the country arose without them playing in the marquee domestic competition as they were on CAF Champions League duty.

Entering the weekend, Royal AM, Cape Town City and Kaizer Chiefs occupied second, third and fourth places, and were the only teams who could mathematically overtake the runaway leaders.

But Royal dropped two points in a 0-0 Durban derby draw with AmaZulu on Sunday, a day after Chiefs failed to collect any after losing 1-0 at Stellenbosch.

Meanwhile, City had a bye.

Sundowns now need only draw at home to City to take an unassailable lead, pocket the R15 million rand first prize and secure a 2022/23 CAF Champions League place.

Ahead of the clash with in-form City, Sundowns have 57 points, Royal 45, Cape Town 40 and Chiefs 39, along with out-of-contention Orlando Pirates and Stellenbosch.

Even if Sundowns fall to Cape Town, they have four other fixtures, starting away to mid-table Sekhukhune United on 3 May, to become Premiership champions a 12th time.

They are chasing a South African treble, having won the early-season MTN 8 knockout competition and reached the Nedbank Cup semi-finals, where they face Royal on Saturday.

Another African flop

However, the prize Sundowns crave most has eluded them again this year after a shock 3-2 aggregate loss to Petro Luanda of Angola this weekend in the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.

It was the third straight season in which a club owned by Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe has made a last-eight exit.

Premiership runners-up