The Sea Robbers' bid to win the title gains momentum each matchday after they registered yet another victory that has seen them widen the gap with their closest rivals. Now on a four-match winning streak, the Bucs are motivated as they hope to dethrone current champions, Kaizer Chiefs. With another clean sheet and a convincing victory, the Buccaneers are sending a clear signal to the rivals that they mean business and anyone standing between them and the title can easily be swept aside.
Questions have been raised about the future of the 23-year-old striker. The young man, nicknamed the Radio-man, has seen his playing time at the Soweto giants limited due to stiff competition. The Radio-man's failure to capitalise on the initial opportunities afforded to him by coach Abdeslam Ouaddou at the beginning of the ongoing 2025/26 campaign.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, who arguably have quality players as opposed to Amakhosi, have already added a few new faces to their squads, as opposed to the Glamour Boys, who are seemingly happy with the playing unit. Their skipper is convinced the available men have what it takes to do the job effectively.
The 33-year-old returns to the Western Cape after being with the Brazilians since August 2018 for a trophy-laden spell at Chloorkop. He had been rumoured to be on his way out of Masandawana in the past two seasons, but managed to stay longer. Now he moves to the Cape Winelands, eager to earn some game time under one of the Premier Soccer League's experienced coaches.
Masandawana have developed the habit of strengthening their squad by entering the South American market looking for the best talent. This mission to South America has seen them get, sometimes, good players, but at times, the signed stars flopped. The best talent from South America that has served Sundowns impeccably includes Lucas Ribeiro, but some have struggled and left without making indelible marks.
There has been a massive debate regarding the decision by the national team technical team to exclude Mshishi and Nyoso from the squad, which featured in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where South Africa crashed out in the Round of 16, falling 2-1 against the five-time champions Cameroon.
With the Africa Cup of Nations finals coming to an end on Sunday, Premier Soccer League fever pitch is set to hit high once the campaign resumes. As expected, eyes will be on the leading sides: Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. Masandawana will be keen to keep their dominance in the competition going, while Bucs are eager to break it.
There have been questions about the future of South Africa in terms of the goalkeeping department, which has, in recent years, relied on the Mamelodi Sundowns star, who has a couple of years left before calling it a day in the national team. The likes of Sipho Chaine have been tipped to take over, but he sometimes struggles for consistency.
One of the key components in any team setup is a competitive goalkeeping department. In most cases, the best, usually the most experienced one, is always the number one choice, and in the case of Bafana, Mamelodi Sundowns' captain has been the undisputed choice. With his age advancing and no young successor in the picture already, a goalkeeping problem for the national team has been predicted.
According to reports, it is a matter of days before the deal is completed, given that the clubs have had advanced talks over the experienced star who is a multiple PSL winner. Sundowns have been on a signing spree, and one of the moves that they have confirmed is the official arrival of the Bafana defender. With the arrival of the young defender, it means the fight for starting slots at Sundowns is going to be very stiff.
The Africa Cup of Nations finals is heading to the ultimate stage, and to every South African football fan, they had to believe their team had the ability to reach this stage. However, Bafana were eliminated quite early; Cameroon's Indomitable Lions proved too strong for them and eliminated the 1996 AFCON champions in the Round of 16. Since elimination, criticism, counter-criticism and the blame game have been the order of the day, and many fingers have pointed to one man: Broos.
The Soweto giants are on course to end the 2025/26 campaign with four major trophies in their cabinet. This comes after an impressive first half of the season, despite a setback in the CAF Champions League. The Buccaneers are now conducting their transfer business as they look to assemble a stronger squad for the remainder of the season.
At the season's halfway mark, clubs have had enough time to assess their playing units and now know what needs to be done to make them even more competitive. Premier Soccer League giants Bucs and Masandawana have made statement signings, while Amakhosi remain silent in the transfer window. Other clubs have not been left behind, as they have also moved stealthily and acquired new signings before the campaign resumes.
The Zimbabwe international has lost his place in the Masandawana starting line-up, with coach Miguel Cardoso now preferring Aubrey Modiba. This comes despite the former Golden Arrows man being the first-choice left-back at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Amid expectations that he would continue in that role, he has instead slipped down the pecking order.
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 Premier Soccer League relegation candidates could struggle to find a suitable replacement for Masandawana's new signing as they fight to avoid the chop from top-flight football. Securing a player of the calibre of their former vice-captain is likely to prove difficult in the current January transfer window. It is a test the Mswenko Boys were not prepared for, according to their coach.
The Buccaneers have been making quality signings in the short January transfer window as the management and the technical team are working harder to ensure they have enough arsenal to challenge Mamelodi Sundowns and Co. for the Premier Soccer League title in the ongoing 2025/2026 campaign after going for more than a decade without one.
After an unfortunate turn of events at Portuguese Primeira Liga side, Masandawana winger is now set to find a fresh start for the remainder of the season. His agent has confirmed that the 26-year-old can be expected to settle into his new club by next week, as plans for his move seem to be promising.
The 21-year-old has been a target for the defending Premier Soccer League champions, Masandawana, and the reigning Nedbank Cup winners, Amakhosi, owing to his strong display while with TS Galaxy, a team he joined three seasons ago. However, the duo has missed out after the Major League Soccer side acted swiftly to seal the deal.
The 21-year-old winger has emerged as one of the most sought-after players on the transfer market, with a number of clubs jostling for his signature. Interest also includes a Major League Soccer side, which could see him link up with Bafana Bafana defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi. Chances are highly likely that he will secure a move during this January transfer window.
The 38-year-old has been doing relatively well since his exit from the defending Premier Soccer League champions two seasons ago. He has since been serving in North Africa, initially with the Botola Pro League outfit Wydad Athletic Club, followed by MC Alger of Algerian Ligue 1, who took him in at the start of the ongoing campaign.
The 21-year-old has been a hot cake in the transfer market owing to his exploits for the Rockets since his unceremonious move from the Glamour Boys a couple of years ago. Apart from Masandawana and Amakhosi, the creative South African international has been linked with a move to Europe, where speculations have it that several clubs have interest in his services.
The reigning Premier Soccer League champions have secured the services of three top players - Monnapule Saleng, Brayan Leon, and Khulumani Ndamane. They are working on regaining their position on top of the South African top-flight table. Then go all the way and win their ninth crown in as many seasons.
The Brazilians have been active in the transfer window with Monnapule Saleng and Brayan Leon already announced. But this fan's major concern is securing a replacement for 'Mshishi' and he thinks TS Galaxy's 21-year-old sensation would be the perfect candidate.
By strengthening their playing unit, the Brazilians are sending a clear message to their rivals that they mean business. So far, the Tshwane giants have confirmed the signing of Brayan Leon from Colombia and Monnapule Saleng from Orlando Pirates. The signing of the Bafana defender means there will be no void left in the defensive department after Lucas Suarez's exit.
The forward's move from one Premier Soccer League title contender to another remains the biggest move so far in the January transfer window. After an impressive outing for Orbit College in the first round of the campaign, Saleng will have to prove himself in another club, bigger and more competitive than the PSL debutants. His signing comes at a time when there are rumours Masandawana are set to make changes to their technical bench.
Mamelodi Sundowns FC
