The 73-year-old Belgian has less than a year to serve Mzansi before leaving the footballing scene and focusing on his family. With the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming, the former Cameroon head coach is reluctant to gamble with his squad, opting to stick to the players who have been doing the job.
Bucs and Bahlabane Ba Ntwa will face off at the 45,500-capacity stadium that is expected to host a sold-out affair. Last season, the final game was held at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein when Magesi FC shockingly beat pre-match favourites Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 to clinch the domestic title. This will be the first final at the Peter Mokaba Stadium for the first time in almost 10 years.
The former Bucs star has delivered once more for the North African giants, who are fighting to win the league again after struggling under Rhulani Mokwena last season. However, the heavyweights are facing a challenge this early from FAR Rabat as the season gathers momentum. Although Lorch has been in good form, he has not been appreciated at home, as the national team head coach keeps ignoring him.
The Premier Soccer League sides served up an entertaining encounter as they fought for a final slot in the domestic cup. After a rather dull first half, a four-goal thriller was witnessed in a livelier second half. Despite the thrilling show, no team managed to get a winning goal even in extra time, and the winner was decided from the post-match penalty shoot-out.
The Buccaneers crashed out in the second preliminary round, losing the two-legged tie to DR Congo’s Saint-Eloi Lupopo. The Soweto giants had hoped to build on last season’s run, which ended in a semi-final defeat to eventual champions Pyramids, making this early exit a bitter blow to their continental ambitions.
The 47-year-old arrived in South Africa in March 2025 and quickly made an impression during a brief three-month spell at Marumo Gallants. His move to the PSL came after years of building his coaching resume in Europe and Africa, beginning as a youth football coach in France before taking on a national team backroom role with Algeria. The former Morocco international defender was then thrust at the helm of MC Oujda in Algeria and had coaching stints in Benin and DR Congo. That diverse experience in different countries set the stage for impressing at Gallants before being lured by the Buccaneers.
The former Bafana Bafana star claims that the Amakhosi youngster is not as effective as he should be because he is deployed out of position. Khanye has also blamed those who nurtured the teenager, saying they did not develop him well. Despite Khanye's claims, Vilakazi has been fighting hard and is pushing himself to be one of the key players for his club.
After a painful CAF Champions League exit, the Buccaneers quickly picked themselves up, turning their continental disappointment into domestic motivation. They managed to weather a stern challenge from the Natal Rich Boyz to storm into the final of the Beer Cup where they face the winner of the game between Golden Arrows and Marumo Gallants who clash in the other semi-final.
The Sea Robbers will be taking part in their second cup final this season after defending the MTN8 earlier. Reaching the ultimate stage of the domestic competition also means Ouaddou is in a prime position to win a second trophy in his debut season with the Soweto giants. However, elimination from the CAF Champions League at the preliminary stage will always be cited by his critics.
The win is a morale boost for the Sea Robbers, who were recently eliminated by Saint-Eloi Lupopo in the CAF Champions League. Advancing to the final of the competition means Bucs' chances of winning another domestic trophy are now a high probability. For Richards Bay, it is an agonising moment after advancing to the last four only to lose by a slim scoreline.
The Amakhosi defender did not complete the game on Friday, as he was withdrawn following the injury scare. The former Bucs tactician is now worried that his main defender might miss the next match. Since he arrived at his new club, the Glamour Boys' loanee has stamped his authority and become a regular starter, and Da Gama has also explained how he has been very helpful for them so far.
The 21-year-old has been struggling for consistency at Orlando Pirates since the start of the season. With South Africa preparing for the biennial continental competition, the 73-year-old former Cameroon tactician has refused to guarantee the versatile attacker a place in his squad with barely a month before he names his final team.
The Sea Robbers are expected to play the penultimate match of the domestic competition without a key midfielder who has always started under Ouaddou. The tactician has, however, not commented on Relebohile Mofokeng's situation as his limited gametime continues to raise eyebrows. Apart from the injury news, Ouaddou has explained why he loves the pressure that comes with his job.
All of the Premier Soccer League's Big Three won in Round 12 of the season, with the two Soweto clubs putting in statement wins that will have the Chloorkop faithful starting to worry about their ninth league title in a row. There were standout performers in those matches and across the other mid-week fixtures in the final domestic league games before the international break.
A former Kaizer Chiefs head coach masterminded a slim win for his side courtesy of a goal struck by an ex-Mamelodi Sundowns star. It was also good news for the Bucs' legend, whose side registered a win and a clean sheet against their rivals. For Barker, the loss will leave him in a more precarious situation, even though he has guided the Maroons to the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.
The Soweto giants are determined to pile pressure on PSL log leaders Mamelodi Sundowns as the title race begins to heat up. The Buccaneers are eyeing a long-awaited league triumph, having last been crowned champions in 2012. Abdeslam Ouaddou's men are showing intent by staying within striking distance of the defending champions who lead them by three points and have played two more games.
The striker is a proven scorer at the Premier Soccer League level, but he still can't nail down a regular place for the Buccaneers or Bafana Bafana this season. Is the 29-year-old ready to seek a new adventure? If so, will other key players follow him out of the exit door if their game time also diminishes?
Back in Premier Soccer League action, the KwaZulu-Natal outfit aimed to build on their strong cup form as they hosted Gallants in a challenging home fixture at King Zwelithini Stadium on Sunday evening. With momentum on their side, Arrows looked to keep their winning rhythm alive in front of their home fans.
The new season launched in early August and clubs are officially or unofficially revealing their new kits with a wave of newly unveiled third kits coming in October.
The Soweto Giants came into the Wednesday game as favourites owing to their recent results domestically and abroad. They needed maximum points to sustain their hopes of ascending to the summit of the table and stand a chance to challenge for the South African top-flight crown by the end of the ongoing campaign.
The Buccaneers were dealt a heavy blow in the first leg of their second preliminary round clash, falling 3-0 to the Congolese side away at Stade Kibassa Maliba on Sunday, 19 October. With the deficit looming large, they now face a daunting task in Saturday’s decisive return leg in front of their home crowd at Orlando Stadium.
GOAL gives you the details to follow the Soweto giants hosting the Chilli Boys in a Premier Soccer League match at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday. It will be the Buccaneers' first match after the recent FIFA break and they have an opportunity to go on top of the table should they win by at least five goals. They are currently second on the log with three points fewer than leaders Mamelodi Sundowns who have played two games more than them.
The moments when Parker suffered the injury have recently been revisited following claims by the former Bafana Bafana attacker that he did not get a proper apology. In a move to clear himself, the Usuthu midfielder has shared a conversation between them.
A former Buccaneer played a crucial role in Bahlabane Ba Ntwa's first goal before their new signing struck to help them collect maximum points. After a run of winless runs, Gallants can now breathe a sigh of relief after seeing off their rivals.
Stat nerds assemble! GOAL digs deep into the matrix to find which teams are leading the way in the key underlying metrics that show whether your team is just getting lucky (or unlucky) in their league campaign.
What better way to prepare for the return of domestic league action than four minutes of the best goals scored in the 2025-26 season? Every one of these are Goal of the Season contenders and are a reminder that when the PSL's finest catch a glimpse of the net, they are going to find it with the ball.
Chippa United
