Masandawana have developed the habit of strengthening their squad by entering the South American market looking for the best talent. This mission to South America has seen them get, sometimes, good players, but at times, the signed stars flopped. The best talent from South America that has served Sundowns impeccably includes Lucas Ribeiro, but some have struggled and left without making indelible marks.
After months out of the dugout, the 50-year-old has landed a new job in Scandinavia. After a good stint with the Soweto giants, the Spaniard struggled with Al Ahly and was dismissed after a short period of time. Now, with a new club, the MTN8 winner must prove to the world that he is still a top coach by guiding the success-hungry team to more titles and that the Al Ahly period was just a temporary period of struggle in his career.
Chelsea are set for a huge benefit from Marc Guehi's transfer to Manchester City. The Crystal Palace captain is on the verge of linking up with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad for the second half of the season and beyond, as the Cityzens look to close the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners are six points clear of their nearest challengers, who are suffering a defensive injury crisis.
There has been a massive debate regarding the decision by the national team technical team to exclude Mshishi and Nyoso from the squad, which featured in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where South Africa crashed out in the Round of 16, falling 2-1 against the five-time champions Cameroon.
Transfer activity has picked up in the Premier Soccer League as well as overseas, with several moves already capturing the attention of South African football followers. Players have been switching clubs both locally and abroad and more transfers are expected to be finalised in the coming days as clubs continue to reshape their squads.
With the Africa Cup of Nations finals coming to an end on Sunday, Premier Soccer League fever pitch is set to hit high once the campaign resumes. As expected, eyes will be on the leading sides: Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. Masandawana will be keen to keep their dominance in the competition going, while Bucs are eager to break it.
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro can automatically trigger a one-year extension onto his contract at Old Trafford if he starts a certain number of games this season, it has been revealed. The 33-year-old would see his Red Devils contract extended until 2027 at his current salary, if he reaches the target. This could be a challenge due to United's lack of European football and poor form in the cup competitions, with just the Premier League left to play in.
The 25-year-old left-back is one of the quality players at the Glamour Boys who were brought on board by former coach Nasreddine Nabi to help in rebuilding the Soweto giants, who have not been delivering consistently, in recent years, as they should both domestically and on the continental scene.
Benjamin Cremaschi has been recognized as U.S. Soccer's Young Male Player of the Year. The award comes as a result of a standout 2025 that saw Cremaschi become just the second U.S. player to claim a Golden Boot as the leading scorer at a major youth tournament. The midfielder, who came from the Inter Miami academy, is currently on loan at Parma.
Michael Carrick said he is ready for the unrelenting scrutiny he is about to face as Manchester United coach, including from his former Red Devils' team-mates. Ruben Amorim was eventually weighed down by the volley of criticism from United legends such as Gary Neville but Carrick insisted he would pay little attention to comments from the high profile pundits in the media.
Former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson has told GOAL why current Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique would be the perfect candidate to fix an Old Trafford “rollercoaster”. The Red Devils are in the market for a new boss after sacking Ruben Amorim, and the Premier League giants are being urged to go all in for a Champions League-winning coach.
After weeks of intense speculation, Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is on the verge of a January exit. The German goalkeeper has reportedly agreed to a loan move to Catalan neighbours Girona until the end of the season. In a desperate bid to secure regular football ahead of the World Cup, the 33-year-old has accepted a significant pay cut, sacrificing the bulk of his salary to facilitate a deal that ends his spell on the Camp Nou bench.
Real Madrid are reportedly ready to restart contract talks with Vinicius Junior following the departure of Xabi Alonso. Los Blancos have made another change in their dugout after generating plenty of unfortunate headlines across the 2025-26 campaign. Many of those have focused on Brazilian superstar Vini, with the South American shelving discussions regarding an extended stay at the Bernabeu.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has revealed he will leave the club at the end of the season, while captain Marc Guehi is on the verge of completing a £20 million move to Manchester City. Glasner and Guehi's respective contracts at Selhurst Park are up in the summer of 2026 and neither will put pen to paper on fresh terms.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin has etched his name into Leeds United folklore by winning the Premier League Player of the Month award for December. The in-form striker becomes the first Whites player to claim the accolade since Rio Ferdinand in October 2001, ending a staggering 24-year wait for the Elland Road club. His remarkable six-game scoring streak saw him fend off competition to secure the prize.
The Soweto giants have been loaning a number of reserve team players to local clubs as well as teams outside South Africa to get valuable first-team experience. This has drawn attention from supporters, with some questioning the overall quality of talent coming through the ranks at Naturena.
In a wide-ranging blog interview, the former AFCON winner revealed his views on the tournament's semi final stage, the battle between Mane and Salah, the upcoming final and picks his standout players.
Liverpool are in talks with Mohamed Salah regarding a return to club action. The Egyptian superstar has been away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations since mid-December. A heartbreaking semi-final exit from that competition has been suffered against Senegal. The Pharaohs still have a third-place play-off to take in, after which their talismanic captain will be cleared to head back to England.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted that the club’s hierarchy is "aligned" on the challenges facing his squad following the devastating injury to Conor Bradley. The Northern Irish defender faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after a controversial incident involving Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli during the heated 0-0 draw at the Emirates. With the January window open, Slot has addressed the growing clamour for defensive reinforcements as his side prepares to face Burnley.
Chelsea fans have accused their club of being “finished” amid claims that Liam Rosenior, who is already being branded a “LinkedIn manager”, does not wear gloves during the Blues’ training sessions so that players can hear him clapping their endeavours. The 41-year-old is only two games into his tenure at Stamford Bridge, but has already raised plenty of eyebrows.
Crystal Palace have discovered their fate in the UEFA Conference League play-off round, where they will face Bosnian side Zrinjski Mostar. The Eagles were forced into this extra hurdle after a shock 10th-place finish in the league phase denied them automatic progression. Oliver Glasner’s men must now navigate a tricky two-legged tie in February to keep their European dreams alive and reach the last 16.
There have been questions about the future of South Africa in terms of the goalkeeping department, which has, in recent years, relied on the Mamelodi Sundowns star, who has a couple of years left before calling it a day in the national team. The likes of Sipho Chaine have been tipped to take over, but he sometimes struggles for consistency.
Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has officially secured a prestigious return to international coaching. Following his departure from Old Trafford and a recent managerial stint at Leicester City, the former prolific striker joins Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands backroom staff. He aims to bolster the Oranje attack ahead of the World Cup this summer, marking his third spell with the national side as they prepare for the global stage.
Harry Kane has, as a complete forward that blends goal-scoring with ball-playing, been compared to Toni Kroos and Kevin De Bruyne by Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany. England captain Kane is all about hitting the net - an artform that he has mastered down the years - but his remarkable numbers in the final third also include plenty of assists.
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has thrown his weight behind radical rule changes in football, confirming he is open to the introduction of an 'orange card' system. The Spaniard believes the sport must evolve to remain attractive, even suggesting he would consider Michel Platini's controversial idea of reducing teams to 10 players to create more space on the pitch.
Marc Guehi has moved a step closer to securing a January transfer to Manchester City following a “big approach” to the player’s representatives. Fabrizio Romano reports on how the England international defender, who continues to run down his contract at Crystal Palace, could make his way to the Etihad Stadium before the winter window closes.
Vincent Kompany has confirmed that Jamal Musiala is finally ready to return for Bayern Munich after his long period on the sidelines. The German sensation has spent seven months out of action following a horrific injury but is set to feature this weekend, with the coach describing the playmaker's arduous journey out of a "dark tunnel" and back to the first-team fold.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates tactician has been heavily linked with a return to Mzansi despite his strong showings with the Algerian Ligue 1 outfit, the People's Club. The Glamour Boys have been tipped to make changes to their technical team at the end of the ongoing 2025/26 campaign.
South Africa are set to return to the global football showpiece for the first time since 2010, when they hosted the tournament on home soil. Their last successful qualification campaign came when they secured a place at the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan. Now, the 1996 African champions will be bidding to prove that they truly belong on the elite stage of world football.