Mamelodi Sundowns’ 2025 was not a walk in the park by any means, and club boss Tlhopie Motsepe has admitted as much.
In his letter to the supporters, Motsepe highlighted their highs and lows.
“The year 2025 has been an important year for your football club. We shared significant moments and achieved meaningful successes, and where we fell short, we learned valuable lessons,” wrote Motsepe.
“It was a year of magical highs and heartbreaking lows. We competed in a CAF Champions League final (and lost to Pyramids), 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,” he continued.
“However, no sporting setback can compare to the personal loss experienced this year by the Krok and Tsichlas families, who lost the heads of their households. We mourn the passing of Solly Krok, the charitable and charming former owner of the Club, who passed away at the age of 95, as well as our former Chairman, Angelo Tsichlas, a true gentleman of the game and a proud son of Hellenic soil. On behalf of our supporters, players, staff, and board, I once again extend our heartfelt condolences and express our deep gratitude for their outstanding contributions to Mamelodi Sundowns.
“2025 was a year that tested us in many ways. But as we have learned time and again, tests do not come to break us; they come to reveal our abilities and prepare us for the future.”
Motsepe added, “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.”
