Mamelodi Sundowns FC news

The South African tactician continues to make waves in North Africa, guiding MC Alger with a calm authority and a growing sense of purpose. Mokwena’s unbeaten run has injected belief into the squad and heightened expectations among supporters as the club pushes deeper into the Algerian Cup and edges closer to silverware.

Despite bringing in 11 new faces to Naturena in the last PSL transfer window, the Soweto giants are still expected to go into the market to address issues in creativity and their inconsistent scoring. More transfer activity could help fix those problematic departments in a team that has, however, shown clear improvement in defence and goalkeeping this season. A former Amakhosi player has already recommended an in-form PSL star as the club’s ideal next signing.

The Sea Robbers have had quite an impressive Premier Soccer League campaign so far and rightfully top the standings. A coach who won the PSL title with Masandawana has warned that teams have cracked Bucs' success code and will frustrate them when the season resumes. The tactician has, however, pointed out that the Buccaneers have the capacity and ability to withstand the frustrations expected.

The Moroccan tactician is having a dream start at Pirates, as he has collected three trophies so far since the season began. Although the latest collection is not an official one, it matters a lot because it was won without key players and against a side that had a number of top players from PSL. Naturally, one would expect him to celebrate, but the former Marumo Gallants coach says his mind is focused on what is more important.

Even though some of their key players were not available, the Sea Robbers outshone the combined All-Stars team to secure another trophy. The exhibition match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium gave the Soweto giants a chance to add another collection into their trophy cabinet. The victory in the Carling Black Label Cup came after they had secured a cup double following their success in the Carling Knockout.

Masandawana’s depth is the envy of the continent - a squad stacked with internationals, specialists and system players built for dominance across competitions. But that strength comes with a cost: talented footballers slipping down the pecking order, roles shrinking, confidence fading and careers stalling under the weight of relentless competition in a team designed to win everything.

Masandawana travelled across the borders and fought to win a tournament they were invited to during the off season. After winning the trophy, the former Esperance coach stated that the priorities set were achieved. He also explained how good the people in Francistown were and praised their hospitality, expressing his love for the fans they met.

The reigning Premier Soccer League champions are in Botswana, where they took part in a tournament, as most of their players were not involved in the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), starting December 21 to January 18 in Morocco. Masandawana showed their class, reaping their opponents apart as the technical team continues working on their tactics.

The Brazilians were in terrific form in the tournament, showcasing their class. They first swept past their semi-final opponents to storm into the final, setting the tone for a dominant tournament decider. Their opponents had narrowly edged TAFIC 1-0 to book a spot in the final, but were then humiliated by the Tshane giants in the final. Overall, Masandawana underlined their superiority throughout the tournament.

The 61-year-old coach has surprisingly failed to stay long in each of his last four jobs, a sharp contrast to the stability he enjoyed at SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly. He is currently unattached amid speculation rife about his next move. With Hugo Broos expected to step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the former Abha Club coach is already being linked with a possible return to Bafana Bafana as well as other teams.

With key players unavailable as they are focused on the Africa Cup of Nations, Ouaddou is expected to give playtime to other stars. In the team that has landed in Durban ahead of the showdown against All-Stars, there are a few players, including a teenager, who could be deployed. After winning the Carling Knockout, the Bucs might win another trophy on Saturday, although it is not an official cup.

The two were overlooked when Hugo Broos named his squad that will take part in the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Although key players were not available for Sundowns due to the AFCON preparations, and others were voted into the Carling All Stars squad, that did not matter much as they won convincingly to reach the charity final in Botswana. The Brazilians now wait for the other semi-final to conclude in order to know who their final opponents will be.

South Africa coach Hugo Broos announced his squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals, and as expected, there were prominent names missing from the Belgian's selection. One of the players whose omission triggered debate is the Wydad Casablanca attacker. He did not even appear in the preliminary squad and has, over a period of time, not been considered for national duty.