Ernest Mtawali named in Sundowns’ all-time dream team

Flames legend Ernest ‘Wire’ Mtawali has been named in South African Premier Soccer League (PSL) top outfit Mamelodi Sundowns’ all-time dream team.

The Pretoria-based side’s supporters voted for the club’s All-Time African Dream Team in celebration of May as the Africa Month.

Mtawali, who became the first foreigner to win the South Africa Player of the Year Award in 1985, is the only Malawian appearing on the list.

Other high-profile Malawian players to have turned out for the Brazilians include the Malunga brothers Holman and Kennedy, Chancy ‘Vinny’ Gondwe, Lovemore ‘Rambo’ Chafunya and Cedric Nankhumwa.

Ernest Mtawali

In an interview from his Johannesburg base, Mtawali, who also played in French, Argentine and Saudi Arabian top-flight leagues, said he felt honoured.

“It’s an honour because Sundowns have a history of signing top-class players and to be named in the dream team is humbling,” he said.

According to supersport.com, it was not easy to land on the starting eleven that could crack the nod into the list of incredibly talented players that have worn the yellow and blue of South Africa’s record holders for the most championship titles won since the start of the Premier Soccer League era.

Others appearing on the list are Ugandan goalkeeper Dennis Onyango, who is currently considered the best goalminder on the continent, Zimbabwe’s quartet of Peter Ndlovu, Khama Billiat, Methiod Mwanjali and Esrom Nyandoro, Nigerian Raphael Chukwu, Roger Feutmba  from Cameroon and Anthony Laffor from Liberia.