Downs end six years of drought at packed Odi

It is said that seven years of hardship shall be followed by seven years of plenty. But for Mamelodi Sundowns however, it had been six years of a painful drought that was broken at the bizarrely built Odi Stadium in Mabopane on Saturday.
The Brazilians last won a major trophy back in 2000 when they snatched the castle Premiership for a record third successive year and since then, have struggled to get back to the winning podium.
They have won the Charity tournament three times during the last six years however, but according to President Patrice Motsepe, in traditional Sepedi, men are expected to bring home either a springbok, impala or kudu to feed a family.
“A man is traditionally judged by the amount of meat he puts on the table when he returns from a hunting trip,” said Motsepe. “And elders would admonish you to stop bringing a rabbit because it only tantalizes the taste buds,” in reference to the little regarded Telkom Charity Cup.
Little wonder, the Sundowns president, attired in a cream jacket and gold tie, marched to the hastily assembled podium with a spring at his feet to accept the R2.6-m cheque from his vanquished opponent Dr Irvin Khoza as prize money for winning the championship.
Khoza, who is the chairman of the PSL, also happens to be managing director of Orlando Pirates, a team that was involved in a neck-and-neck race with Sundowns for the ultimate prize and needed to score an incredible six goals without reply to prevent Sundowns from winning the title.
But Sundowns were not to be denied as some of the veterans like Andre Arendse in goals put up a stupendous performance between the poles, denying the marauding Buccaneers a sniff at his goals with spectacular saves, some of them out of this world.
Benson Mhlongo was another solid performer with his twin centre-back Mike Manzini as they both stood up to be counted and at one stage, reminded some of us of a jealous husband the way they protected Arendse.
Pirates wanted an early goal and started like a house on fire, but Sundowns held on steadily and smothered every move they initiated. Then Sundowns slowly took control and Jose Torrealba watched in disbelief as his attempt crashed against the upright.
Sandile Ndlovu’s header went agonizingly close and Torrealba slipped the ball under the diving Francis Chansa, but Tonic Chabalala cleared the ball off the line and the Buccaneers heaved a collective sigh of relief.
And then of course, talisman Surprise Moriri regained his silky touches and the Matibidi-born artists spread his influence across the field, feigning, passing, assisting and creating opportunities while trying his luck at unlocking Pirates.
“I have finally won a gold medal,” said Moriri at the end of a titanic match that ended a dramatic season that also saw Kaizer Chiefs succumb to SuperSport United on the final day of the 2005/6 programme.
“I feel very happy. I am so thrilled I cannot find appropriate words to describe my joy. But most of all, I think that as a team, we deserved the championship because we worked so very hard.
“At one stage, we traveled to Durban soon after the December break to enable the national team to prepare for the African Nations Cup, and we sweated blood and tears as we prepared for the last quarter of the season.
“But, looking at my gold medal, I think it was worth the sacrifice. Finally, I have something to show for my contributions and all the effort I have put into my football since turning professional.”
Not that it had been a long professional career for Moriri. But he has certainly been one of the most influential figures in Sundowns this season and some feel was very unlucky to have been left out of the squad that traveled to Egypt.
“Not so,” corrects Moriri. “I think it was not the right time when Ted Dumitru left me out, but now is the right time. I feel more relaxed and much more confident and experienced than when I was left out.
“Of course it hurt me deeply when I was omitted from the traveling party. But these things happen in like and you have to learn to accept and take it on the chin like a sportsman. It was hard for me to accept but eventually I crossed it from my mind.
“It has taken me a while but once I erased it from my mind and started working even harder to rebuild my confidence, it became much easier to deal with the disappointment of Egypt.”
Moriri and the rest of the Sundowns squad are going on a ticker-tape parade across the Tshwane townships of Mabopane, Soshanguve, Ga-Rankuwa, Atteridgeville, Mamelodi and the city centre with the trophy on Monday.
The club’s end of the Year awards function will be held on Tuesday and you can rest assured that Moriri is likely to walk home with one, perhaps even two awards after an outstanding season.