The win over Babina Noko came at a crucial time for the coach, who has been under immense pressure lately. The fans have expressed their dissatisfaction sometimes through protest and chants, and the club responded by issuing threats against such conduct. Although the performance in the Premier Soccer League has been positive, the manner in which the Brazilians win has raised questions, with some saying they are not as dominant as they were before, especially under Mosimane.
Tension between Downs and their fans' supporters continues to boil up because of the team's underwhelming performance. During the CAF Champions League game, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium, fans protested by chanting 'Pitso, Pitso. The club's sporting director was also subjected to harassment, and on Tuesday, Sundowns condemned those acts.
With Masandawana struggling for consistent and impressive performance, the fans have expressed their frustrations in various ways, including blocking the team's bus in the past. After another frustrating outcome in the continental competition against the Sudanese giants, the club's head coach, Miguel Cardoso, and sporting director, Flemming Berg, were the targets of fans' protests. Now, the Pretoria-based outfit has vowed to take legal or disciplinary action against the fans involved in the incident reported on Friday.
Pressure is mounting on the Brazilians’ coach as he struggles to convince supporters that he can deliver success at the club. Having gone into the 2025 AFCON break already under fire from fans, the Portuguese tactician is back in the furnace after failing to beat the Sudanese giants on Friday. Now, his players are being accused of actions that could amount to sabotage.
After starting the year on a bright note with a 2-0 Premier Soccer League victory over Orbit College, the Brazilians then stumbled and dropped points at home in their continental fixture against the Sudanese giants. That piles more pressure on their Portuguese coach whose job appears to be on the line.
The experienced South African tactician has revisited his time with Al Ahly and said the African football governing body denied him a chance to make history with the Egyptian giants. The former Mamelodi Sundowns tactician led the Red Devils to three Champions League finals but lost the third one. Now he has pointed fingers at those he said are to blame.
The two-year tradition is set to end after the 2028 edition, and the decision to shift the continental tournament continues to attract criticism and applause almost in equal measure. For long, African football fans knew that the competition would be held biennially, and this wait will be prolonged given the recent decision made and announced by CAF's president, Patrice Motsepe. Now, one of Africa's most experienced and most respected coaches has shared his concerns, blasting the people in charge at CAF.
Although they are widely considered to be among the top three football giants in the country, Amakhosi have lagged behind in terms of success as compared to Bucs and Downs. Masandawana have dominated the Premier Soccer League in the last eight straight seasons, and the Buccaneers have stamped their authority in the domestic competitions. The Glamour Boys, on the other hand, boast last season's Nedbank Cup success, a trophy that ended their decade-long wait for a major gong.
The defending Premier Soccer League champions put up a decent shift to claim maximum points against the Mswenko Boys in their first game of the year, staged at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday night. The victory took Masandawana past Orlando Pirates in the log. The Brazilians now hope to sustain their form all the way to the end of the 2025/26 season.
The former Esperance coach has been under massive pressure owing to Masandawana's struggles, especially in the Premier Soccer League as well as the other domestic competitions. 'Jingles' has been heavily linked with a return to the Brazilians to help in shaping the squad, but the Portuguese tactician has rubbished the speculation.
The experienced coach has been without a job for the past year since leaving his position at Esteghlal FC in the Iranian Pro League. During his time unattached, he has been linked with a move to Kaizer Chiefs and, more recently, a possible return to Chloorkop. The coach himself has admitted that several clubs have approached him, but none of the offers met his expectations.
The former Orlando Pirates coach has gone on to create history beyond Mzansi borders, with the 39-year-old tactician once again underlining his pedigree. Having already shown his capability during his spells at Mayfair and Chloorkop, the latest cup triumph with his current side came as no surprise to Pitso Mosimane, who had long foreseen Mokwena’s success and publicly backed him when he appointed him as his assistant at Sundowns.
Masandawana have made statement signings, sending a clear signal to rivals that they should expect a stronger team. Monnapule Saleng and Brayan Leon are top stars that have been brought on board to strengthen the striking department that already has record breaker Peter Shalulile and Iqraam Rayners, last season's second-best league scorer. But who exactly is influencing these signings? A question has been posed.
The former Orlando Pirates coach is in Algeria with MC Alger but continues to be linked with a move to Amakhosi who are currently under co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze. This is despite the Soqeto giants stating that they will not be bringing in a new coach now as they trust the men who are leading them.
As debate on who should take over Bafana Bafana when Broos' era comes to an end rages, some names have been suggested. From the experienced Pitso Mosimane to the emerging Rhulani Mokwena and Broos' current assistant, Helman Mkhalele, pundits have been analysing who is the best-suited tactician to handle the national side.
The current Masandawana coach appears to be under immense pressure, with his team looking less convincing this season. That has sparked rumours that he might not see out the campaign as the club’s bosses are said to be weighing up bringing in a coach capable of rescuing their waning fortunes. Changes to the technical team at Chloorkop would not come as a surprise anytime soon.
