Five talking points from the Nedbank Cup final

Mamelodi Sundowns edged Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 at Orlando Stadium to win the Nedbank Cup on Saturday.

The win was not without controversy though as Siwelele lodged a complaint against the Brazilians after finding out that they had submitted a team sheet that had a suspended player on it in Tebogo Langerman.

Here are the five talking points from the Cup final:

Sundowns clinch historic treble

Mamelodi Sundowns joined rivals Orlando Pirates as the second team to clinch a treble after winning the Nedbank Cup on Saturday. Having already won the Telkom Knockout and the Absa Premiership titles, the Brazilians needed to win the league cup to achieve the feat and they did. A Gaston Sirino individual goal was enough to give Pitso Mosimane their third trophy of the season.

Langerman issue leaves sour taste in Sundowns mouths

Sundowns’ win against Celtic was not without a controversy as Siwelele lodge a complaint against the Brazilians at the final whistle after finding out that they had included Tebogo Langerman in their team sheet for the final. Langerman was suspended for the match after collecting four yellow cards in the season. The Brazilians, however, could well keep their trophy as Siwelele only protested after the game, which makes their protest non-complaint as per the NSL rule book. Sundowns are expected to just get a fine from the league for their mishap.

Celtic lose their bite at the final hurdle

Coming into this game, Celtic were expected to give Sundowns a run for their money and coach Pitso Mosimane admitted as much before the game, but Siwelele were not full of running as they usually are on Saturday. They did not create many scoring opportunities and allowed Sundowns to dictate the game. As a result, Sundowns were indeed worthy winners on the day.

Sundowns join Chiefs in trophy haul

Saturday’s Nedbank Cup victory meant that Sundowns, just like Kaizer Chiefs, have won 20 trophies in the Premier Soccer League era. The Brazilians, however, dominates the Soweto giants in terms of winning the league title as they have won it 10 times, while Amakhosi have only lifted the league trophy four times in the PSL era.

Tshwane rules Soweto

Sundowns win against Celtic means that all the trophies are in the City of Tshwane. With SuperSport United having won the MTN8, Sundowns clinching the league and Telkom Knockout titles, the only trophy that was missing was the Nedbank Cup. But now it too is a property of the Tshwane team, meaning that there is no trophy in Soweto, where Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates reside. Over the years the Soweto giants have been a dominant force in terms of winning titles, but now is seems that dominance has shifted to the City of Tshwane as the Brazilians and Matsatsantsa are cup kings this season.