Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Thlopie Motsepe has sent his final chairman’s letter of 2025, saying the club has celebrated much success this past year but also learned some tough lessons, and insisted “league titles are not decided in December”.
Motsepe, who is currently in Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he was in the stands for Bafana Bafana’s clash with Egypt, addressed several club matters in the latest edition Sundowns’ Digital Magazine.
Looking back at 2025, Sundowns celebrated the heights of winning their eighth successive league title, while also partaking in the FIFA Club World Cup but losing out on the continental crown to Pyramids in the CAF Champions League final.
“2025 has been an important year for your football club. We shared significant moments, achieved meaningful successes, and where we fell short, we learned valuable lessons,” Motsepe writes.
“It was a year of magical highs and heartbreaking lows. We competed in a CAF Champions League final, participated in the FIFA Club World Cup, and secured our eighth consecutive league title.
“Our Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies preserved our pride by retaining the Hollywoodbets Super League title for the sixth consecutive time, while our Academy enjoyed a historic year of success.
“Alongside moments of joy and jubilation, we also faced sorrow and setbacks. We suffered a devastating defeat in a highly anticipated CAF Champions League final in Cairo, and for the first time since the competition’s inception, our Ladies team did not qualify for the CAF Women’s Champions League. These were challenging moments for the Club.”
Motsepe then thanked coach Miguel Cardoso for the success delivered in 2025 and insisted the club is working hard behind the scenes “ensuring that the right people and the right players are in place”.
“Turning to our first team, starting 2026 strongly will be a key objective for Themba Zwane and his teammates,” he continued.
“Your Chairman, the Sporting Director, and the Board have already begun the work of ensuring that the right people and the right players are in place for a season filled with purpose and ambition.
“At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Coach Miguel Cardoso and the entire squad for the commitment and success they delivered in 2025.
“Winning our eighth consecutive league title and reaching a CAF Champions League final for the first time in nine years were remarkable achievements. I also thank the supporters who stood by the team and the coach when it mattered most.”
Motsepe also closed off his letter with a defiant message, as Sundowns closed the year in second place in the Betway Premiership behind Orlando Pirates.
“As the year closes, we find ourselves in a position that is unfamiliar in recent seasons. While we may not be where we aspire to be at this point, history has taught us that league titles are decided in May, not December,” he added.
“What has sustained this Club through every era will continue to guide us — the unwavering support of Masandawana. Unity within the Yellow Family will always be our greatest strength.”