Sundowns did the country proud when they beat TP Mazembe 1-0 in the CAF Super Cup at Loftus Stadium on Saturday.
The contest pitted the Champions League winners (Downs) against the Confederation Cup holders.
“We can say Sundowns did well and made us proud. They pulled off a hell of a game and played well,” Mbalula told snl24.com/kickoff.
“They could have scored a long time ago. It's not a fluke, they played well. Mazembe is also a good side. They didn’t come here to defend, they came here to play soccer. You can see they are a quality side.”
‘Minister Wodumo’ added: “To climb the ladder of becoming the African champions in totality is history on its own. Nobody has achieved that status. Sundowns have made history and all shall follow.”
Meanwhile, Downs president Patrice Motsepe has paid tribute to those that contributed to the development of football in the country before he got involved in the sport.
“For us to play for your country is a huge honour and I want to express my personal gratitude to those people before me who made South African football what it is today," he told this website.
”I am still new in football. For us as a family, this is one of the areas to give back to the community.”