The former midfielder has raised significant concerns about the club's recent run of form ahead of their high-stakes meeting with the log leaders. Despite a recent run of good form, the vocal pundit believes the Glamour Boys are still far from the level required to challenge the league's elite.
The race for the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League individual honours is reaching boiling point as a new name enters the conversation to challenge the established frontrunners. While the spotlight has largely remained on teenage sensation Relebohile Mofokeng, Richards Bay head coach Ronnie Gabriel has thrown a domestic spanner in the works by touting one of his own rising stars for a major accolade.
A former Amakhosi boss has launched a scathing critique of the Buccaneers tactician following the recent Soweto derby. Ernst Middendorp suggested that the controversial post-match remarks were "below the standard" of elite leadership expected at the highest level of South African football.
Abdeslam Ouaddou will need his squad to be strengthened further during the off-season transfer window if Bucs are to stand a chance to defend their titles and challenge for more. Already, the Soweto giants have been linked with a number of players, with reports strongly indicating they will possibly raid their Premier Soccer League opponents for players.
The Tshwane giants went back to the summit of the Premier Soccer League table as the race to win the crown tightens with each matchday. The Sea Robbers would have widened the gap at the top had they won against Kaizer Chiefs in the Soweto Derby, but that was not the case.
The 20-year-old South African defender will be disappointed he could not help his team see out the game and secure the win over their Western Conference rivals that would have seen them through to the quarterfinals of America's premier cup competition.
The Buccaneers forward has remained one of the most trusted players under the Belgian coach, even during spells when his form has dipped. Despite his struggles, the tactician has continued to show faith in him. However, it remains to be seen whether he will make the squad for the global football tournament as he battles for consistent game time at the club level.
Former South Africa international Katlego Mphela has delivered a strong message to Hugo Broos regarding his selection for the World Cup squad. The ex-Bafana forward believes the Belgian tactician must broaden his attacking arsenal if the national team is to be truly competitive on football’s biggest stage. Mphela stressed that depth and variety in the final third will be crucial, urging the coach to look beyond his current options and reward in-form forwards who can offer different dimensions to the attack.
The Usuthu coach anticipated a high-intensity contest from the two traditional giants, and his side would have to match both. He noted that while the two teams carry quality, one has more threat than the other.
The tactician will be in action on Wednesday night with Rise and Shine against the Brazilians, as the South African top-flight outfits continue working towards achieving their targets. Masandawana are aware they can't afford to drop points.
There is no clear leader in the title marathon between Bucs and Masandawana with a few games to go. The Tshwane giants had a chance to open the gap on Sunday after the Sea Robbers had been held in the Soweto Derby, but were frustrated by Richards Bay, which means the gap remained relatively where it was before.
The Brazilians have lost some footing in the Premier Soccer League title race and are now pushing hard to reclaim their top form. With Orlando Pirates at the top of the table, the pressure is firmly on Masandawana to respond and return to the summit.
The Buccaneers star is widely expected to be one of Bafana Bafana’s key players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With Themba Zwane still battling to rediscover his top form, the spotlight increasingly shifts to the 21-year-old. That rise in responsibility places significant expectations on his shoulders as he looks to deliver for his country.
The Amakhosi goalkeeper is the man on everyone’s lips after an inspired Soweto Derby display, sparking widespread calls for his inclusion in the upcoming global showpiece. A former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper believes the Glamour Boys' shot-stopper has done enough to earn a place in Hugo Broos’ squad. He went a step further, boldly declaring that Beeza is now firmly in the conversation to become the national team's first choice.
The Glamour Boys battled against their traditional rivals, the Buccaneers, last weekend to share the Premier Soccer League spoils at the FNB Stadium. It was a massive result for Amakhosi, who look destined to get back to continental football once again next season.
As fans anxiously waited for the players to square it out on the pitch, chaos erupted during the warm-up session. The event, which overshadowed it, involved Amakhosi team officials and the security personnel of the home team. However, tension cooled down, and the game started before each side earned a point from the stalemate.
The showdown between the Soweto rivals continues to dominate headlines days after it was played. Apart from coaches of respective teams, pundits and fans have continued to analyse the match whose outcome is believed to be able to highly influence the title race.
The league race has reached a fever pitch as the Buccaneers look to finally end Masandawana's long-standing dominance in South African football. With the Soweto giants currently leading the pack, the legendary figure believes a specific distraction could play right into the hands of his former club.
The Soweto giants have been going for quality in the last several years in their bid to dominate South African football across all brackets. They recently acquired a quality Amakhosi product to strengthen ahead of the forthcoming assignments.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed a fairly solid season despite not being a regular starter for his club. His contributions have still been notable whenever called upon, but not consistently starting matches has cost him his place in the Bafana Bafana squad.
The Buccaneers star, who ensured the Sea Robbers salvaged a point in the Soweto Derby, did not attempt to hide his frustration after Sunday’s stalemate. The result dealt a painful blow to the log leaders’ title ambitions, as they missed the chance to pull clear at the summit, with the defending champions, still holding a game in hand, now breathing down their necks, just a single point behind.
The Glamour Boys co-coach has lifted the lid on the tactical adjustments made to curb Buccaneers’ creative sparks during the pulsating Soweto Derby. The Tunisian tactician revealed that a specific midfield deployment was necessary to prevent the Sea Robbers from dominating the central channels at FNB Stadium.
Amakhosi came close to avenging their February defeat against the Buccaneers. Just when it seemed they would get their revenge, the Sea Robbers struck with 15 minutes remaining to pull level. In the end, the contest finished all square, with the points shared between the arch-rivals.
The Buccaneers mentor praised the Amakhosi goalkeeper after the shot-stopper played a pivotal role in a draw at FNB Stadium, leaving the Sea Robbers to rue a host of missed opportunities in a high-stakes encounter. He proved to be the decisive figure for the Glamour Boys, producing a commanding display after missing the previous meeting between the Soweto rivals in February, a clash in which the Naturena outfit conceded three goals.
The defending champions could have opened a one-point gap at the top of the table with a victory against the Natal Rich Boys, but they failed to take the opportunity. Interestingly, their coach claims he didn't know Masandawana had the advantage since their rivals had dropped points against the Glamour Boys in an earlier game.
After a losing streak that extended for six games, Amakhosi finally managed to put a stop to Bucs' derby dominance in the league. Although the Naturena heavyweights did not win the game, they snatched a point from their rivals, who are in a tight race against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Orlando Pirates
