CAF Confederations Cup news

The race for the South African top-tier crown is interesting as the top dogs continue to get positive results. Apart from the Brazilians, who have won the last eight editions, the Buccaneers are determined to beat them to the prize in this edition. However, the Glamour Boys and Babina Nko have shown they can also win it.

The Glamour Boys are rebuilding this season, but have not been that busy as opposed to their rivals. Despite ending their trophy drought in the 2024/25 season, it seems Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns will benefit as they lead the race for the title. It is interesting to see how Amakhosi will deal with the current gap.

The 27-year-old arrived at Amakhosi amid huge expectations to help end the Soweto giants’ long-standing attacking problems. Despite having a squad packed with eight forwards, the Glamour Boys have continued to struggle for goals, placing the spotlight firmly on their strikers' shoulders. The former Cape Town City star is still expected to become the prolific scorer Amakhosi desperately need as they chase the Premier Soccer League title, the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Glamour Boys have confirmed the exit of the goalkeeper at a time their fans are waiting to see if a new player will be signed for the first team. Unlike Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, Amakhosi have not yet strengthened the first team, which sends a signal that they are satisfied with the current playing unit. Meanwhile, there is stiff competition in the goalkeeping department at Chiefs currently, with Brandon Petersen the number one choice given his performance.

The 29-year-old has been based in Europe since 2016, building a solid career abroad. During his decade overseas, his journey has taken him through Sweden, Portugal and Israel, before settling in Cyprus over the past four years. He now joins a club soaked in success, having been crowned champions of Cyprus on 21 occasions.

The Soweto giants boast a strikeforce that has eight forwards in their squad, yet they continue to struggle with glaring shortcomings in front of goal. The attacking frailties could come back to haunt them as they enter a crucial phase of the season, including the bid to defend the Nedbank Cup. A former Amakhosi striker has weighed in, pinpointing what he believes is holding the club’s forwards back from being consistently prolific.

The 28-year-old has been struggling to get regular playing time at the Buccaneers despite recovering from a long term injury. The competition has been stiff, with those preferred by coach Abdeslam Ouaddou delivering as expected, explaining why the Super Eagles defender wasn't going to easily fit in. The Nigerian has now left the team, a couple of weeks after Mbekezeli Mbokazi left for Chicago Fire.

The current campaign for the Soweto giants has shown significant improvement. After ending their trophy drought last season—a success that marked a new dawn for Amakhosi, their league form had been below par, finishing last season only two points higher than where they are now halfway through this campaign. According to co-coach Kaze, the team’s performance this season represents a notable step forward.

The Sea Robbers have had a strong run in domestic competitions this season, winning the two tournaments - MTN8 and the Carling Knockout, respectively. The Buccaneers are still determined to win the top-tier crown as well as the Nedbank Cup since they have what they need to go all the way. However, the supporters have been warned that nothing is guaranteed.

The Glamour Boys are showing their hunger to deliver the South African top-tier crown in the 2025/26 campaign. Despite being regarded as the dark horses, Amakhosi are proving to be serious title contenders with critical wins against some tricky teams. They are just two points behind the defending champions.

The Stellies are determined to get back into the top positions on the Premier Soccer League table. In the off-season transfer window, they lost some big names to top teams in the country, something that weakened them. It got worse when coach Steve Barker dumped them for Tanzanian Premier League heavyweights Simba SC.

With the emerging keepers at Naturena, the Amakhosi senior team is expected not to struggle for top stars in that department. However, the challenge for the Soweto giants is to produce dependable goalkeepers who can match or go above Itumeleng Khune in terms of performance and longevity. Replacing the former Bafana Bafana custodian has been a mission that Chiefs have not successfully accomplished since Khune left in 2024.

In a bid to get a constant supply of future stars, the Sea Robbers have added two upcoming youngsters into their ranks. Considered promising talents that could be the next big names in the South African football circles, Bucs have moved with speed to ensure they belong to them. In recent times, the Soweto giants have produced top stars who have ended up making their names at relatively young ages.

As the season gathers momentum after a brief break owing to the Africa Cup of Nations finals, Amakhosi will be in league action again just days after facing ZESCO United. The CAF Confederation Cup result against the struggling Zambian giants saw the Glamour Boys register back-to-back wins across competitions. Against Gallants, they face a side that last registered a league win in mid-October last year.

Although Amakhosi won, their coach was not satisfied with the standard of the pitch, a concern he did not shy away from expressing. Now, he has been answered by his ZESCO United counterpart, who has said that is an excuse by the Soweto giants. Excuse or not, the temperatures are set to rise significantly before the two teams meet again in a week's time for another high-stakes game.

The former TS Galaxy tactician saw his side register a crucial win that takes them closer to the knockout stage. For the Maroons, the loss has come just as they start a new journey under the former Amakhosi coach, who was recently appointed to steer the club after the departure of a long-time tactician.

The Soweto giants recovered from setbacks in their opening two group matches by grinding out a crucial away win in Zambia. While it is three vital points picked in Ndola, some fans were left unimpressed by the manner in which the team secured victory. The result reignited hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the competition from a group that has Zamalek and Al Masry as fierce competitors.