POLL | Are Mamelodi Sundowns destroying SA football?

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates star Jabu Mahlangu's claim Mamelodi Sundowns are ruining South African football has got tongues wagging.

Mahlangu said the champions were hogging talent and destroying Bafana Bafana and South African football in the process.

“We have been suggesting the issue of financial fair play in the PSL but Masandawana fans obviously want their team to win all the time. But our national team is dead now.

“And they claim they want to help Bafana Bafana become a top national team. It’s not possible because our best players are in one team and they don’t play.

“I’m happy some of the fans are starting to notice this and are talking about something that must be done, because we can’t have the top players in one team and they don’t play. How are we going to improve?” he said.

While some agreed with Mahlangu, others said Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs should re-evaluate their recruitment policies and “get their act together”.

Sundowns are again running away with the title after a club record 12 wins in a row.

They are expected to win their sixth successive DStv Premiership title in May.

Weighing in on Mahlangu's comments, former Pirates and Bafana Bafana star Daine Klate said the rest of the league needs to catch up with Sundowns.

“If they don't, Sundowns must win every season. The work and process they followed over the years took a lot of time. So credit for the investing and success is well deserved,” he said.

Former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Brian Baloyi said the problem was in South Africa not having properly structured football clubs.

Speaking on Robert Marawa’s Marawa Sports Worldwide this week, Baloyi argued for financial fair play in South Africa.

“A football club is an ecosystem where it’s about supporters, the home where you belong. In South Africa I struggle to point to any team I can call a football club.

“Most of us support teams in the UK and LaLiga and we see and understand what a football club is. Our biggest problem with where we are is a lot of the small teams that contribute, maybe less than five have a permanent home. Even our biggest club, Mamelodi Sundowns, is not in Mamelodi. They train in Ekurhuleni.

“We have to address these things and build proper clubs. Then we can talk about financial fair play.

“The reason most clubs don’t have sponsors is because of exactly such things,” he added.

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