After eight in a row, Mshishi sets sights on another CAF gong

Neville Khoza Sports Journalist
Themba Zwane of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates after the Betway Premiership match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Magesi FC at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on May 18, 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Themba Zwane of Mamelodi Sundowns celebrates after the Betway Premiership match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Magesi FC at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on May 18, 2025 in Pretoria, South Africa.
Image: Lefty Shivambu

Having clinched his ninth league title this season, Mamelodi Sundowns captain Themba Zwane is still hungry for more and is targeting another CAF Champions League trophy to add to his collection.

Zwane will have a chance to add to his Champions League medal he won in 2016 with Sundowns when they face Pyramids in the final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday in the first leg (3pm).

"It is a very important period for us. My job is to try to encourage the guys to stay focused and to look at the goal. We can't let this one slip. We wanted to be in the final, now we are there," Zwane, 35, said.

"We just have to finish the job. We wanted to finish with the league so we can focus on the final."

The veteran midfielder is one of three players - the others being Denis Onyango and Thapelo Morena - in the current squad who've won eight championships in a row with the Brazilians. Mshishi's first title with Downs was in 2015/16.

Sundowns will head into the final with Pyramids on the back of an impressive run in the domestic league where they have registered six successive victories, scoring 14 goals without reply.

Zwane feels they have peaked at the right time ahead of the final. "It feels great because as Masandawana, we are not tired of winning, we just want to keep on going. We just want to make history."

After he was sidelined by an Achilles injury for the better part of the season which he picked up while on national duty with Bafana last year, Zwane said he remained positive after he had a chat with coach Miguel Cardoso about his role in the team.

"I always stay positive and when the coach arrived, I tried to understand what he wanted from me because we had some chats and he said to me, 'he will wait for me to come back, then we will decide where I am comfortable playing. For me, it was more than enough to understand what he wants from me.

"My job was to come back stronger and try to fight for my position."    

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