As DStv Premiership holders Mamelodi Sundowns prepare to open the new season on Friday, Soccer Laduma looks back how they fared in their opening league matches when they also went into the start of the previous campaigns as defending champions.
Sundowns travel to Polokwane to face Sekhukhune United on Friday evening and history suggests that they are going to make a positive start as they target a seventh straight Premiership title. Here, we look back at how they performed as champions on the opening day, in the last five seasons.
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2022/23
Cape Town City 0-2 Sundowns
Last season, Sundowns made an early statement with a comfortable victory away from home to the Citizens, as Aubrey Modiba netted a spectacular free-kick after the hour mark, before star man Themba Zwane sealed the deal with a goal two minutes later. It was a good start for them as defending champions away from home.
2021/22
Sundowns 1-0 AmaZulu
Not quite the smoothest of starts against AmaZulu, but Sundowns managed to secure three points on home soil and it was that man Zwane again who got on the scoresheet on the opening day of the season.
2020/21
Kaizer Chiefs 0-3 Sundowns
A big game on the opening weekend of the season ended with Sundowns demolishing Amakhosi at FNB Stadium. What better way to send a message to the rest of the league? Peter Shalulile opened the scoring for Sundowns eight minutes before half-time and Kermit Erasmus and Zwane sealed the emphatic victory in the second half.
2019/20
Sundowns 2-0 SuperSport United
The Tshwane derby kicked things off and Sundowns stamped their authority with a 2-0 victory inspired by goals from Sibusiso Vilakazi and, yes, Zwane again. Sundowns bagged their goals in each half, cruising to three points as they went on to wrap up another title in that campaign.
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2018/19
Sundowns 1-1 Chiefs
This is the only opening match Sundowns have drawn in their last five seasons, but they still did not lose. Ramahlwe Mphahlele opened the scoring for Chiefs against his former side within the first 10 minutes of the game, but Ricardo Nascimento cancelled it out with a goal from the penalty spot after 25 minutes.
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