Mamelodi Sundowns FC news

After a dramatic build-up surrounding the rescheduling of this fixture due to the Pretoria side’s continental commitments, both teams will be eager to settle matters on the pitch on Tuesday evening with the Pretoria side looking to put pressure on title rivals Pirates who could fall three points behind ahead of their own mid-week match on Wednesday against Richards Bay.

The defending Premier Soccer League champions have revealed plans to face one of the elite teams, not only in Germany but in Europe at large. South African players have an opportunity to gauge themselves against their European-based colleagues and maybe get better deals abroad. Mzansi football lovers will enjoy watching their own team facing a top side.

Masandawana return to action, hoping to win and widen the gap at the top over fierce rivals, Orlando Pirates. Currently, the Premier Soccer League leading sides have the same points - 44 - with the Sea Robbers leading by a slim goal difference. Should the Brazilians win, Bucs will have a chance to close the gap when they play Richards Bay a day later.

Masandawana are the only team from Mzansi in the ongoing CAF inter-club competition following the elimination of the Glamour Boys, the Sea Robbers, and Stellenbosch. The Brazilians will reap big, as confirmed by the organisers, but they should go all the way and bring the most coveted trophy home. Last season, they reached the final but fell to Pyramids.

In what could infuriate the Amakhosi fan base again, the national team head coach has not named a single player from the club. However, the Sea Robbers enjoy a high representation, followed by their close Premier Soccer League rivals, Mamelodi Sundowns. Thembinkosi Lorch, who has enjoyed an impressive run, has not been called up again.

Over the years, some high-profile strikers have come out of Mzansi, but recently, the upcoming ones have struggled to reach the standards set by their predecessors. As Hugo Broos looks forward to naming his World Cup squad, he should be scratching his head on whether the available centre-forwards will deliver. Before then, though, a retired striker has shared lessons for the current crop.

Referees play critical roles in any football competitions but are always on the verge of a severe dressing-down if they make decisions considered biased. The coaches have always expressed their dissatisfaction openly when they feel decisions made were against their teams. Although freedom of expression is allowed, an experienced tactician has cautined his colleagues against public condemnation of the match officials.

The Masandawana chairman has embraced the Downs-Pirates rivalry, revealing that the heated battle in the Premier Soccer League has also fired up their Champions League ambitions. The two teams have been swapping the top spot in the league almost with every kick of the ball in recent weeks and the title race looks like going down to the wire.

Check out the latest transfer news and rumours from Amakhosi, Buccaneers, Masandawana, the rest of the PSL teams and South African players and coaches plying their trade abroad.

The veteran midfielder has been out of the South Africa national football team for over a year. His experience was missed during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and could still be valuable as the team looks ahead to the global football tournament. However, he is yet to hit top form at Masandawana, with coach Miguel Cardoso carefully managing his minutes.