Wednesday, 30th May 2007 at 1:35 pm

Sundowns - and Sapula - rock on

The Sundowns awards dinner earlier this week did more than just fling large cheques from MTN in the direction of this season’s stand-out players; it also reminded everyone why, defeat in the Absa Cup Final notwithstanding, Sundowns look to be genuinely building towards a side who can make a real go of African competition.

In part, it was the players and coach on show. Gordon Igesund’s fourth title in ten years has underlined his pedigree, and the fourth title in particular - taking a talented but expensive group of players with well-documented egos, and blending them into a winning team - is perhaps his most significant achievement to date. And with players like Godfrey sapula (above), Calvin Marlin and Surprise Moriri headlining a star cast, Sundowns have the combined staff to succeed beyond South African borders.

But it’s the infrastructure as much as the staff that suggests the African Champions League may see a challenge from outside of North Africa next season. The awards dinner showed off a club with money, resources and definite intent, and Patrice Motsepe is known to have a successful continental campaign high on his list of objectives. League champions and cup runners-up make for a great 2006/07; for Sundowns, however, this could just be the beginning.