Former Bafana Bafana captain Neil Tovey has praised the decision of South Africa’s ‘Big Three’ to conduct their pre-season preparations in Europe. As Amakhosi, Buccaneers and the Brazilians return from their respective tours, the retired defender believes the gulf in resources is providing them with a distinct competitive edge in domestic competitions.
Orlando Pirates suffered a dispiriting second loss of their Spanish camp on Friday, going down to the Saudi Pro League side at the Marbella Football Centre on Friday in their final pre-season encounter before they fly back to South Africa to defend their PSL title.
GOAL brings you all the available details on the pre-season friendly between the Buccaneers and the Falcons at the Estepona Football Centre, Spain. This will be the Soweto club's fifth and final match of their Spanish camp and should see Abdeslam Ouaddou field a side close to the XI that will compete in their first league match of the season against newly promoted Milford FC on August 1.
The Moroccan tactician has hailed his side’s resilience and tactical maturity following a hard-fought 1-0 victory against La Liga outfit, Canarias. A late strike from Boitumelo Radiopane proved the difference in a match that provided the Buccaneers with a much-needed morale boost during their intense pre-season training camp in Spain.
These two sides had met in pre-season friendlies in 2023 and 2025, both of which ended in 0-0 draws. But finally, in 2026 after a further 85 minutes of stalemate, Boitumelo Radiopane got in behind the Spanish club's backline and finished smartly to give Pirates a goal and the win on the day.
The Buccaneers tactician has expressed clear concerns regarding his side’s recent performances at the back. Despite showing promise in transition and possession during their European tour, the Betway Premiership reigning champions have struggled to keep clean sheets against high-calibre opposition.
GOAL brings you all the available details on the pre-season friendly between the Buccaneers and the Yellows at the Marbella Football Centre, Spain. This will be the Soweto club's fourth match of their Spanish camp and comes just 24 hours after Abdeslam Ouaddou's men lost 3-2 to Al Ittihad on Tuesday evening.
The Buccaneers suffered their first loss of the 2026 pre-season tour after going down 3-2 to The Tigers at the Banus Football Centre in Marbella. They will have to regroup quickly as they have another match against Spanish club Las Palmas just 24 hours after the final whistle against the Saudi giants.
The Buccaneers head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has expressed huge confidence in his side's preparations as they look to retain their Betway Premiership title. The Soweto giants are currently intensifying their training regime in Spain, with the former Morocco international pleased with the tactical and fitness evolution of his squad.
Just three months ago, the 27-year-old was enjoying the acclaim of his performances with the Five-Star Player of the Month Award for November and talk of a possible big move being mooted. Since then, his Spanish club have gone on a run of no wins in 10 games, which has seen them drop into the relegation zone and announce the sacking of coach Jose Ziganda, the man who brought the reigning PSL Player of the Year to the club.
The 27-year-old produced a series of impressive displays in the Premier Soccer League during his time with Masandawana, from which he is now beginning to show at Spanish second-tier side Cultural Leonesa. Despite a slow start with his new club, he has attracted growing interest in recent weeks after finally finding his scoring touch and winning over the club's supporters.
Although the Sea Robbers are yet to register a pre-season win, an ex-Bucs tactician has explained why victories in these games are not a primary objective.
The Premier Soccer League champions participated in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup so saw their pre-season pushed out later than the rest of the PSL teams.
Las Palmas
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