The South Africa international has been in the form of his life for the Sea Robbers, scoring goals at will as the Soweto giants continue chasing Mamelodi Sundowns for the Premier Soccer League title. The 21-year-old is also expected to make the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be played from June 11.
The Brazilians face a demanding run-in as they battle to retain the Premier Soccer League title while also chasing glory in the CAF Champions League. The Brazilians cannot afford to loosen their grip on domestic dominance, with Orlando Pirates eager to pounce in the title race. At the same time, lifting the continental crown remains a top priority for the Tshwane giants after being runners-up last season.
The Brazilians are back to resume their push for the Premier Soccer League title. They know that a win over the Chilli Boys at Loftus Versfeld on Friday will take them to the top of the table. Their coach will be hoping that most of his players returned from national duty fully fit.
Although he is yet to rediscover his best form, the 28-year-old has already made his presence felt in the Masandawana dressing room. He has shaken off a nagging thigh injury and is showing he has adapted to the Portuguese coach’s system of play.
The title race continues to intensify as Bafana Ba Style collected a hard-fought three points against a resilient Bahlabane Ba Ntwa in their midweek league encounter, moving above Orlando Pirates on the Premier Soccer League table. The Brazilians were pushed all the way, but their persistence ensured they maintained momentum in the race for the top spot.
The 28-year-old recently broke into Miguel Cardoso’s starting line-up after spending time on the sidelines due to injury. The ex-Buccaneers star has shown signs of gelling well with the Masandawana squad, delivering solid performances and providing an assist in the three matches he has featured in for the Tshwane side. While Innocent Mdledle has been impressed with the move, he has also issued a stern warning as expectations continue to grow around the in-form winger.
The Brazilians would be hoping the knockouts of this continental competition will not be as difficult as the group stage, where they went for a four-match winless streak at some point. It is a fresh chapter of this season's campaign as they bid to improve on last term's run, where they ended up as the losing finalists.
The title race continues to intensify with each passing matchday, placing added pressure on Masandawana as they look to reclaim top spot. They face a stern test on Wednesday when they welcome their former coach, Manqoba Mngqithi, who masterminded their defeat earlier this season.
The South Africa international is one of the new players that the Brazilians signed in the January transfer window. However, he had to endure some time on the sidelines as he recovered from an injury sustained while on loan at Orbit College from the Buccaneers. It is interesting to see how he will impact his new team this season.
Masandawana managed to withstand the Babina Noko storm and finally collected three points at home. The victory ensured that Downs remain in a neck-and-neck battle with the Sea Robbers as the league enters the homestretch. Bucs had earlier registered a convincing win over arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in a Soweto derby showdown.
The 27-year-old last played a competitive football match in November 2025 while on loan at Orbit College from Orlando Pirates. He was apparently playing while carrying a thigh injury that flared up again after his shock move to Chloorkop in January. Now, as February draws to a close, rumours have started swirling about why the winger has yet to make an appearance in a match day squad at Masandawana.
The winger's move from the Soweto giants to the Pretoria heavyweights was the biggest shocking move reported in the January transfer window. Given that some fans had seen the 27-year-old as an outcast after he was ostracised at Bucs, Masandawana still went on to sign him in an attempt to bolster their attacking department. The bigger question now is if the South African international can succeed with the defending league champions.
GOAL gives you the details to follow Masandawana's hosting of their National First Division opponents in this Cup clash on Wednesday. The Tshwane giants are out to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2022 and have lifted six times overall. They are the third most successful team in this competition after defending champions Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates.
The 27-year-old last played a competitive football match in November 2025 while on loan at Orbit College from Orlando Pirates. He was playing while carrying an injury before his thigh strain eventually took a toll on him. Now having found a new home at Chloorkop, he is still waiting to make his maiden appearance for Masandawana.
In a bid to make themselves a competitive outfit in PSL and in Africa, Masandawana have always crossed the borders to bring on board players. Whereas some have come and left an impact, others have flopped despite high expectations that came with their arrival. In the off-season and mid-season transfer windows, Downs have followed the same script as they aim to collect more trophies.
The versatile midfielder was Amakhosi's transfer target before, but Masandawana decided to keep him although he has been struggling for game time. The Tshwane giants made sure they kept their quality stars in order to maintain their competitive edge and avoid strengthening their rivals by releasing their players to them. The Pretoria heavyweights have now been praised for keeping the midfielder by handing him a contract extension.
