Mamelodi Sundowns News Today: Striker earns Ibrahimovic comparisons, Pitso names CAF CL favourites & more

Latest news about Mamelodi Sundowns in the last 24 hours, including the striker who has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Pitso Mosimane’s pick to win CAF Champions League.

Parker dismisses Cardoso’s calendar claims

Bernard Parker on Miguel Cardoso saying Mamelodi Sundowns' loss to TS Galaxy was purely down to the calendar and fatigue… #snawahttps://t.co/yahECdgAvR pic.twitter.com/ZVrL4LPW8e

— SPORTS NIGHT AMPLIFIED with ANDILE (@SNAWA_MetroFmSA) May 13, 2026

TS Galaxy interim coach Bernard Parker has fired back at Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso who claimed that his team’s loss to TS Galaxy was down to fixture congestion and not the opponents’ tactical plan.

“No way [that we won because Sundowns are fatigued], this is what football is about,” Parker in an interview with SNAWA on Metro FM.

“You don’t hear Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man City talk such because they play week in, week out at high intensity in terms of Champions League football, local cups and local leagues.

“It’s just about how can you refresh your squad and get the results. Sometimes you cannot play the way you want to play the whole year through, sometimes you have to plan.”

‘He is like Ibrahimovic’ – Adams on Mamelodi Sundowns forward

Sundowns midfielder Jayden Adams has compared striker Brayan Leon to legendary Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the huge impact he has had at the club.

Leon arrived in January but needed no time to settle in as he has scored 15 goals and weighed in with two assists in 24 games, five of them in the CAF Champions League, helping the club reach the final, and 10 in the PSL.

“He is like Ibrahimovic,” Adams told the media as quoted by iDiski Times. “It’s like a fight for every ball, pressing for everything. He will make a bad pass, a good one. And you know, the qualities they have inside the box, it’s just incredible to add to our team.”

Pitso Mosimane picks CAF Champions League winner

Former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has declared his ex-team as the one that will win this season’s CAF Champions League for a number of reasons.

Sundowns will play Moroccan side AS FAR Rabat in a two-legged final, the first one at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, May 17 and Mosimane is backing them to win their second crown, 10 years since he guided them to their maiden continental title.

“Sundowns will win. No question about it,” Mosimane told iDiski Times. “They have the players to win, right? And the coach has gained confidence from those two finals. Now he believes that he can win. But why shouldn’t they win it now? But if you don’t win it now…”

“Yeah, but the team they’re playing doesn’t have the experience of winning the Champions League. It’s not such a big team. Of course, it’s an organised team. And that could be the problem also,” he added.