The opening weekend of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season is set to deliver an intriguing narrative as the former coaching partners prepare to face off with their new teams. After guiding Amakhosi to a third-place finish last term, Kaze and Ben Youssef were replaced by Fernando Da Cruz, leading them to embark on new individual journeys with Sekhukhune United and Durban City respectively.
Borussia Dortmund lost Wednesday's friendly at Japanese top-flight side Cerezo Osaka 1-0 after a disappointing performance. But that was not all: a bitter injury and whistles aimed at a youngster followed.
Joao Pedro scored a dramatic late hat-trick as Xabi Alonso kicked off his Chelsea tenure with a chaotic 6-4 pre-season victory over Western Sydney Wanderers. The Blues showed incredible attacking flair in a 10-goal thriller, but defensive vulnerabilities left the new manager with plenty to ponder.
The awards were delayed by the FIFA World Cup but now, with the new season just days away, the Premier Soccer League had the opportunity to reward the best of the best from the 2025/26 season.
