What happened in the 2019/20 season?

2019The 2019/20 season has finally been completed, the season started on the 3rd of August 2019 for Mamelodi Sundowns in a derby against SuperSport United, the game ended in a 2-0 victory for Masandawana. The hectic schedule for the Brazilians showed three months down the line as they were competing in three different competitions, the league, MTN8 Cup, Telkom Knockout and the CAF Champions League.

After twenty-one games, Masandawana had already played in a semi-final in which they were unable to move past, had won a Cup the Telkom Knockout after beating Maritzburg United by two goals to one, collected four crucial points in the Champions League after a beating Petro Luanda and drawing away from home with Wydad Casablanca.

The Brazilians ended 2019 in position three on the log standings. In all competitions Masandawana won nine games in 2019 and found the back of the net on twenty-two occasions while only conceding eight times. In all twelve away games before the new year Mamelodi Sundowns lost only once to Golden Arrows, drew five and won six times.

2020 started on a good note as the Brazilians demolished AmaZulu by three goals to nil with Themba Zwane coming on top with a brace. Masandawana started where they left off on the African safari as they beat USM Alger, Wydad Casablanca and drew with Petro Luanda. The results were enough to send them to the last eight of the competition where they had to face Al Ahly. The first leg away in Cairo ended in a 2-0 loss for Masandawana and the return leg ended in a stalemate which saw the Brazilians eliminated in the quarter-finals.

With the CAF Champions League out of the way, Masandawana switched their attention to two competitions, the Nedbank Cup which they were already in the last-eight after defeating SuperSport United (a game that saw Thapelo Morena suffering a horrific injury). Next up was a quarter-final clash against Highlands Park, it took a moment of brilliance from Keletso Makgalwa to wrap things up in Makhulong and send Masandawana to the semi-final. March 11 was the last time the 2018/19 Champions took the field as they took on newbies Stellenbosch at Cape Town Stadium winning that game by a goal to nil.

Then the unexpected happened, the COVID-19 pandemic attacked the whole world and brought everything into a standstill. The President of the country announced a national lockdown. That meant no activities to be allowed until everything was under control. Masandawana were in position three when it all happened, they had played fourteen games and were nine points behind the log leaders.

After a five month break, football returned in the “Bio-Bubble” and the first task was a clash against Bidvest Wits in the semi-final of the Nedbank Cup. It took the last kick of the game to get the results as Lyle Lakay hit a well-placed free-kick past Brighton Mhlongo to seal the ticket to the final showdown against Bloemfontein Celtic.

The tough task to catch up with log leaders was taking the front seat now as a place in the last cup competition was accomplished. Mission Defend the Cup was unleashed with only nine games left to complete mission impossible. Out of the nine Masandawana won four, drew three and lost two. The unthinkable was achieved on the last day of the season as the log leaders let it slip, as Coach Pitso Mosimane would say, “The Cup is going where it belongs,” and that is in Chloorkop.

The treble was completed when Masandawana took on Siwelele and came out victorious with a goal to nil to cap off a great season.