Mamelodi Sundowns have always been cool, we just didn't realise it

Mamelodi Sundowns are making a strong case to be the ultimate cult team of the Club World Cup. In fact, there's not even any competition. A melodic name that instantly grabs attention, the nickname The Brazilians, a logo that doesn't belong in the football world featuring a finger pointing upwards, and the motto “The Sky is the Limit”, all crowned by the stunning kit created by KidSuper. In a football world saturated with all kind of informations, Sundowns are an exotic novelty that's impossible to resist. Yet we're talking about a powerhouse in African football, the most successful team in South African history, one that has outshined more renowned domestic rivals like Kaiser Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.

The story of Sundowns changed in 1985, when they were purchased by Zola Mahobe, a wealthy businessman from Soweto. In 1986, he had to fund a trip for the entire team to London for the FA Cup final between Coventry City and Tottenham, as a reward for winning the South African Cup—the club's first-ever trophy. Mahobe had a grand vision for the Sundowns, sparing no expense to hire top coaches and elite players, as well as changing the team colors to replicate the green and yellow kits of Brazil, hence the nickname The Brazilians. Mahobe was later arrested in 1988 for embezzlement, but Sundowns still managed to remain among the top South African clubs. A real turning point came in 2004 with the arrival of Patrice Motsepe, the club’s current owner, leading to their rise, including 12 of their 18 league titles won to date.

Now the Sundowns want to leverage the international media spotlight that only a World Cup can generate to grow their fan base, riding the wave of hype that has surged in recent days. The thing is, Sundowns have always been cool, we just didn’t know it. For instance, in the late ‘90s their kit sponsor was adidas, and during that period the Sundowns wore the same patterns as the most prestigious teams under the three stripes. One example is the V-neck shirt with geometric patterns on the upper chest immortalized by Germany at the 1994 World Cup, or the pattern used in the 1997/98 season with the three stripes running vertically along the front of the shirt via three curved lines, instead of across the shoulders. Collaborations with Nike and Diadora didn’t achieve the same results, but the partnership with PUMA projected the Sundowns into a new aesthetic dimension.

Shirts with bold and innovative designs, mostly geometric patterns featured on both home and away jerseys. A collaboration that reached its peak with the jersey designed by KidSuper: a yellow shirt where the sun rises over a sandy mountain, at the end of which an imaginary city emerges. An abstract illustration with a gradient from yellow to orange with azure, green, and blue accents. This pattern was also used for the goalkeeper's kit, this time using a gradient from light blue to dark blue, creating the effect of the Moon rising above a choppy sea. Surprisingly, this collection was not worn for the debut against Ulsan HD, suggesting that the club is not entirely satisfied with the final result. This is an understandable choice, which will also generate hype around a jersey that can be described as an instant classic and will undoubtedly help the Sundowns become a cult team among fans, enthusiasts, and collectors.