THE CHAIRMAN'SLETTEROla Champions of Africa, Ola!
It is my great privilege and pleasure to greet every member of the Yellow Nation as Champions of Africa. This is not my usual salutation as your Chairman, and please do not think that I am saying this in arrogance or to brag; but what we have achieved this season is very special. We have finally reclaimed the CAF Champions League trophy and have clinched the second star! A special achievement such as this deserves a special greeting. So again I say, "Ola Champions of Africa, Ola!"
We have waited 10 years to be able to call each other Champions of Africa once again. It has been 10 years of dedication, 10 years of determination, and finally, on the 10th anniversary of our first Champions League triumph in 2016, Themba Zwane and his men have delivered Africa's most coveted trophy to our Club. There is also something very special about seeing Themba Zwane and Denis Onyango help deliver our second star, ten years after being part of the team that secured our first. Their journey reminds us that loyalty, perseverance and excellence create legacies that endure far beyond football.

So after 10 years of trying, what have we learnt? Allow me to share a few lessons that we gathered as we chased the second star.
The first lesson we have learned is the importance of gratitude.

While I am grateful that we have won the Champions League, the deepest gratitude I feel is towards the people who made this achievement possible. This was not an easy season for Mamelodi Sundowns. There were setbacks, disappointments and moments when our players, coaches and leadership came under significant criticism. Through it all, our players remained professional. Our technical team remained focused, and our staff continued to work tirelessly behind the scenes. To our players: thank you for your champion mentality. To Coach Miguel Cardoso, Coach Steve Komphela, Coach Fabio, Coach Kennedy, Coach Pedro, Mathias, our Sporting Director, Flemming Berg and the entire technical team: thank you for your leadership and commitment. To our support staff, whose work often goes unnoticed but whose contribution is invaluable: thank you. And to the many supporters I met in person, as well as those who encouraged the team from across South Africa and beyond through social media, thank you for standing by this Club.

The second thing we learned is that Champions League football has different demands from Premier League football. Although both competitions demand the very best in order to win, the Premier League requires a greater level of consistency and is more dynamic. Whereas Champions League football places different tactical and strategic demands on a team, both on and off the pitch. The margins between success and failure are incredibly small, and Champions League football places big demands on a Club in terms of travel and accommodation. However, the things that make the Champions League so hard are also the things that make it so rewarding. To travel across the continent, sometimes flying over 13 hours to get to a destination, is incredibly tiring on the mind and the body, but the reward comes when you arrive in a country that is so far from home and see local people greet you with the words, "Mamelodi!", or when you are driving from the airport to the hotel and get a chance to see the country from the streets. Sometimes you see the struggle, but more often than not, you see the strength of Africa, its resilience and ability to adapt. I always find myself humbled and inspired by the cities we have visited and the people we have encountered on our journey, and these feelings are magnified as an African Champion because now we can say these places and people are part of our journey to clinching the cup.

The third lesson we learned is that every setback can prepare you for your comeback. Almost a year ago to the day, Coach Miguel Cardoso and his men were travelling to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup after suffering the heartbreak of defeat in the CAF Champions League final in Cairo. The players were disappointed, the staff were hurting, and many supporters were mourning what might have been. Yet even in that difficult moment, the team continued to represent this Club with pride on the world stage. Today, many of those same players who had their dreams denied in Cairo are champions of Africa. Their journey reminds us that setbacks are not the end of the story. In football, as in life, our greatest disappointments can become the foundation for our greatest triumphs.

The fourth lesson we have learned is that extraordinary achievements require extraordinary unity. Football often celebrates individuals, but no one wins the Champions League alone. Success belongs to the players who played in the final and those who trained with us every week in Chloorkop. It belongs to the coaches and analysts. It belongs to the medical staff, the masseurs, the managers and administrators. It belongs to the President, the Board, our supporters and every employee who wears the Mamelodi Sundowns badge with pride. Our second star was earned together.
While we can certainly say that this season was special, we cannot say that the season was a complete success. We finished our 2026 campaign in a very strong manner, but we did not start as well as we had hoped. In addition to failing to secure the local cups, we fell short of winning our ninth league title in a row. As much as it pains me to say this, we lost the league because our rivals were better than us over the course of the season. However, if we are to relinquish our domestic championship, let it be to an Orlando Pirates team that performed as exceptionally as they did this year. Congratulations to them and the other Clubs that won silverware this season. Mamelodi Sundowns is an aspirational Club that aims to win everything every year. And the years we do not win are the years we come back hungrier and more determined. Remember, every setback is an opportunity for a comeback.

The Ladies Team is also preparing for a comeback season of its own. After bowing out of the COSAFA Cup last year and missing out on a spot in the CAF Women's Champions League, Banyana Ba Style are determined to make this a year to remember for the Club. Coach Godfrey Sapula and his players have been in pre-season for an extended period and won their first game 6-0. Although the new Hollywoodbets format means that there are fewer home games for our ladies, we encourage all of the Yellow Nation to go and watch the Ladies Team play if they are in your area. If the season goes the way we hope, we could be the only Club ever to have a men's and women's team win the Champions League. So let's show our Brazilians some support.

I would like to take a moment to congratulate Coach Tiro Van Rooyen and his players and technical team on a sensational second-place finish in the DStv Diski Challenge. The team, largely made up of boys between the ages of 17 and 22, showed great tenacity and promise as they played some of the most attractive football I have seen at that age group. Credit must go to Flemming Berg, the Head of the Academy, Paulo Cardoso, David Notoane, Sam Mbatha and Ryan Hunt for the work they did to bring together such a talented team of players and develop them into a group of promising young men. The future of Mamelodi Sundowns is not something we are waiting for, Masandawana; it is already here!
As I reflect on this remarkable season, one of my strongest memories is not the final whistle, the trophy presentation or the medal ceremony. It was at the airport. It was the victory parade through the streets of Tshwane. It was seeing thousands of supporters welcoming their champions home. In those moments, I was reminded that Mamelodi Sundowns is more than a football club. It is a family. It is a community. It is a source of pride and inspiration for so many people.
My challenge to every member of the Yellow Nation is simple. Let us carry that same energy into the season ahead. If tens of thousands of supporters can line the streets to celebrate our champions, imagine what we can achieve if that same energy fills Loftus Versfeld every week.

The second star is not the end of our journey.

It is the beginning of a new chapter.

Thank you for believing. Thank you for standing with us.

Finally, as we celebrate our second star, we remember those who helped build the Mamelodi Sundowns we know today.
Goldfinger Shakoane, Mr Krok, Angelo Tschiclas, and Screamer Tshabalala — this one is for you!

The Sky is the Limit!
Tlhopie Motsepe
(Chairman)