Mamelodi Sundowns

1964–1970: Beginnings

Sundowns Football Club originated around Marabastad, a cosmopolitan area north west of the Pretoria CBD in the early sixties, where it was formed by a group of youngsters residing in the area. The club mentions individuals such as Frank "ABC" Motsepe, Roy Fischer, Ingle Singh and Bernard Hartze and as part of its founding young stars. The newly established team was named Marabastad Sundowns after an amateur club called Sundowns, which existed in the 1940s, also formed in Marabastad.

In 1969, Ingle "Jinx" Singh, one of the founding players for Sundowns and later owner of both Marabastad Sundowns and Pretoria City (which later became SuperSport United F.C.), decided to sell the club to Dr. Bonny Sebotsane, Dr. Motsiri Itsweng. The club was moved to the nearby township of Mamelodi and was officially established and renamed as Mamelodi Sundowns in 1970.

1970–1988: Zola Mahobe, Stan Tshabalala and the "Mr Cool" Years

The club was affiliated with the Federation Professional Football League in 1973 and in the same year reached the finals of the Coca-Cola Cup, where they played against Berea United and lost 5–3.

In 1978, Sundowns joined the National Professional Soccer League after the merger of the National Football League and the previous iteration of the National Professional Soccer League. This meant Sundowns played in the second division of the new league.

For five years 'Downs battled to gain promotion and managed to earn its place in the NPSL in 1983, but in their first season in top-flight football, they found the going difficult. During that period, Sundowns' management resolved to disband the club, until new owner Zola Mahobe came on board in 1985.

In the same year, 1985, South African football was the first sport in the country to become non-racial and the National Soccer League was formed, incorporating the top clubs in the country, including Sundowns. Dave Barber was in charge at the start of the new National Soccer League era but his tenure came to a swift end after the club found itself at the foot of the table and Zola Mahobe appointed Walter da Silver. Da Silver later quit after 5 games before the end of the season, claiming that Mahobe was interfering in team selection.

Zola Mahobe appointed Ben Segale as the coach, and the team ended the 1985 season in a flourish by winning the last 4 games to finish 11th place, which was a big improvement on their previous two top flight seasons. Under Mahobe, Sundowns fortunes changed for the better as they began to challenge for top honours in the domestic league. The big spending Sundowns boss recruited the services of elite South African footballers on a quest for supremacy, and changed their kit to resemble that of the Brazilian national team, earning them their nickname, "the Brazilians".

Mahobe went to Soweto to acquire the services of the coach Stanley "Screamer" Tshabalala, who was assisting Blackpool at the time, to lead the Sundowns team. Under the tutelage of Screamer Tshabalala, Sundowns played an entertaining and effective brand of football which became known as "The Shoe Shine and Piano." By the end of 1986, the club had won the Mainstay cup in a 1-0 victory against Jomo Cosmos in Ellis Park and goalkeeper, Mark Anderson was voted Footballer of the Year as new players kept arriving. The next season, they finished third in the league, just three points behind champions Jomo Cosmos.

Sundowns were flying in 1988, with a victory against cross-town rivals Arcadia in the final of BP Top Eight Cup, and then later beating them again for the Ohlsson's Challenge Cup. Despite winning two trophies that year, trouble was brewing in the camp when players, led by Anderson demanded the resignation of coach Tshabalala and his assistant Trot Moloto. Stan resigned from his position, with a record of 54 wins, 29 draws and 25 losses. Captain, Mike Ntombela took charge over the club for four games while the management looked for a coach.

In the same year, the ownership of the club fell into the hands of Standard Bank, which repossessed the club from Zola Mahobe after his conviction for fraud. The club went into liquidation and the football family Angelo and Natasha Tsichlas spoke to the bank and saved the club. They then formed a company with Krok brothers and bought 100% of the club.

1988–1995: Tsichlas/Krok leadership and First Championship

Chilean coach, Mario Tuane and his assistant Angelo Tsichlas took charge of a club at the top of the table and led it to its first league championship. There were rapturous celebrations at HM Pitje Stadium after Sundowns gained an unassailable point lead over Cosmos. However, the club could not defend the Ohlsson's challenge and BP Top Eight crowns and the Tuane era came to an end, with Angelo Tsichlas taking charge of the team as a caretaker coach until the club appointed Trott Moloto, and shortly after Stan Lapot. In the '89 season, Sundowns went on a 7-game unbeaten run in the league, but could only win one of their last 6 matches in the league, which ended the club's season at position 5.

This prompted the return of Stan Tshabalala, who took the team to the top of the table again in 1990. Sundowns only lost 2 league games during the campaign and won its first treble, managing to win the Top Eight Cup and the JPS Knockout Cup against Orlando Pirates with a 2–1 scoreline in the final.