Pitso's possible Sundowns homecoming could shift the title race

THERE are coaches who change clubs, and there are coaches who change leagues.

- SMISO MSOMI

Pitso Mosimane belongs firmly in the latter category, which is why his potential return to Mamelodi Sundowns carries implications far beyond Chloorkop. Reports that Sundowns are in advanced talks with Mosimane — amid growing discontent over Miguel Cardoso’s tenure — feel less like nostalgia and more like inevitability.

At a club built on dominance, second place is rarely tolerated, even when the margins are fine. Sundowns currently sit second in the Betway Premiership table, two points behind Orlando Pirates and narrowly ahead of Sekhukhune United. In most environments, this would be an acceptable position at the halfway mark. At Sundowns, it is viewed as an underachievement — particularly when silverware has already slipped away.

The failure to lift either the MTN8 or the Carling Knockout Cup this season has sharpened the scrutiny on Cardoso. Performances have often lacked the ruthless edge Sundowns once wielded so effortlessly, with questions raised over tactical identity, rotation, and big-game control.