Ahead of their second leg CAF Champions League final match against Pyramids FC, Mamelodi Sundowns players and technical team will be encouraged by the fact that they stand to cash in big time should they turn the tables and win their second African star.
It has always been standard procedure for Sundowns players and coaches to share the prize money among themselves. So now, a R70-million (CAF Champions League prize money) carrot is being dangled in front of the Masandawana players, should they beat the Egyptians, who have a slight advantage after scoring an away goal last week.
This could mean R2-million for each Sundowns player and member of the coaching staff. But, Sundowns are on the backfoot, after conceding a heartbreaking, late injury time goal in the 1-1 draw in the first leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last week.
In 2016, when Sundowns were crowned as the champions of Africa, all the players and the coaching staff were rewarded handsomely with all the winnings, a whopping R20-million at the time – this year, the stakes are higher.
A highly-placed insider has corroborated that players stand to share the loot if they win tonight. “The Motsepe family is generally generous, and the chairman of the club is guided by the standard policy of the club that all the players and the technical staff team get to share prize money of whatever winnings they make.
“So, it is not a policy per se, but a norm and standard practice for the club to always reward the players and the technical team to share the money from winning the competitions. And it is not even a part of their contracts, but just a standard practice of the club.”
Building up to the game, Tlhopie Motsepe, who is currently steering the Sundowns ship as chairman, said he expects the reigning PSL champions to win the Champions League and go to the Fifa Club World Cup as African champions.
“That’s what we want, to go there as African champions. We have a big chance. Being African champions again is something we’ve longed for. We are one step away from achieving it,” Motsepe said.
“If we were to rewind to the start of the season and you asked if we would love to be in this position – one game away from the CAF Champions League title – we would take it. It’s what we plan for every season.
“And the energy in the group is great, and that’s good, considering the coach [Cardoso] didn’t have a preseason with us. He didn’t get to pick the players he wanted or instil his methods. But to now be in the final with the players he found there is testament to what he’s achieved.”
