A photo finish could be on the cards in this season’s bid for the Premier Soccer League crown, with the battle likely to go down to the wire. Masandawana and the Soweto giants are locked in a tight race, constantly exchanging top spot as they push for supremacy. As things stand, it remains too close to call, with no clear favourite emerging between the two heavyweights.
South Africa are set for an international friendly game with the Canal Men in the next couple of days. The first game will be staged in Durban at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, while the second one will be at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. Some top names were omitted from the team as Hugo Broos named his squad to kickstart preparations for the global competition.
South Africa have begun their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be staged in North America. The former Cameroon coach has unveiled his squad for the friendly matches scheduled at the end of March. As expected, the tactician made some surprising selections, but he has moved to justify one of those decisions.
The Egyptian giants have escalated their legal battle with their former head coach by filing an official appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The move comes after FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber ordered the club to pay the Spaniard a significant compensation package following his brief stint in Cairo.
Going by the current standings and form, the Premier Soccer League is a two-horse race between Masandawana and the Sea Robbers. Naturally, Bucs' supporters would wish the Brazilians would drop points and vice versa, as each set of fans would want their team to lift the title in the end.
South African football fans will have to wait at least another 12 months before Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology is officially introduced to the domestic game. Despite the government fulfilling its promise to provide the necessary funding, high-ranking officials have urged patience as the technical rollout begins.
The title race continues to intensify as Bafana Ba Style collected a hard-fought three points against a resilient Bahlabane Ba Ntwa in their midweek league encounter, moving above Orlando Pirates on the Premier Soccer League table. The Brazilians were pushed all the way, but their persistence ensured they maintained momentum in the race for the top spot.
As the Sea Robbers chase the Premier Soccer League title, constant criticism against players, especially on social media, has been condemned. Bucs' fans are known to be very vocal in expressing themselves, especially when the team or a player perform below their normal standards. However, this kind of criticism has been discouraged because the players have already won two trophies.
A former Chiefs captain has added to the ongoing debate regarding the current quality of the Amakhosi squad, suggesting the club has lost its way. The retired defender believes a departure from long-standing traditions has allowed rivals to pull ahead in the Premier Soccer League race.
Although club football dominates headlines currently, South Africans are also looking ahead as Bafana are set to take part in the upcoming global bonanza. The Sea Robbers and Masandawana are in a tight battle to win the Premier Soccer League title, the same teams that are expected to contribute the majority of players to the national team.
The Nigeria international has not played competitive football since September 2024. After completing his move to the Maroons in February, he has been forced to wait longer than expected to make his maiden appearance. His continued absence from matchday squads has now been clarified.
The 21-year-old player made his name at the Soweto giants in the 2024/25 campaign, attracting several teams before eventually leaving for the Saudi Pro League outfit. Being played as a defender, the versatile attacker has been struggling for form and game time of late, and that places him at risk of being out of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos' plans.
The Buccaneers lack a forward genuinely challenging for the Premier Soccer League Golden Boot, but there is still room for improvement in attack. A former Soweto giants star has opened up on how the coach is dealing with his underperforming frontrunners. He feels a sharper output up front remains a pressing need.
The Soweto giants last lifted the Premier Soccer League title in 2012, a long drought that now heaps pressure on them to reclaim South Africa's domestic football's ultimate prize. They find themselves locked in a fierce tussle with Masandawana, who have dominated the league by winning it for the past eight consecutive seasons. A former Bafana Bafana forward has now weighed in on this brutal title race, adding his voice to the growing title race debate.
The 39-year-old found himself on the wrong side of the law a couple of days after parting ways with MC Alger, a team he had coached for eight months. He has been tipped to take over another top-tier outfit in Libya, with the announcement made late on Tuesday.
The Glamour Boys will definitely go for an experienced tactician to help them achieve their ambition, owing to the struggles they have experienced following the exit of Nasreddine Nabi. The interim tacticians have, on several occasions, failed to help the club win seemingly easier matches. However, a veteran tactician believes he is the solution at Naturena Village.
Just like it was the case in the previous seasons, the Sea Robbers and the Tshwane giants are the close rivals for the title in the ongoing campaign. But the Buccaneers failed to take advantage over the weekend when they were frustrated and eventually dropped points against Siwelele FC. Downs will be back in league action in midweek and can open a two-point gap against their rivals.
The custodian was in impressive form as he helped his Premier Soccer League team frustrate the Sea Robbers. With match-winning saves, the Bafana keeper was the star of the game as he forced Bucs to drop crucial points. Although he was a standout player, he has been cautioned not to think he will get an automatic ticket to the global bonanza that will take place mid-year.
The 38-year-old former Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad Athletic Club tactician is in trouble with the Algerian authorities, a couple of days after leaving the People's Club. The Kaizer Chiefs-linked coach has been tipped to join South African attacker Thembinkosi Lorch, who is currently contracted to Libyan outfit Al-Ittihad.
The North African side have moved quickly to replace the South African tactician who quit over the weekend. And, in a twist of fate rarely seen in football, it looks like the two coaches are basically 'swapping' clubs.
The battle for the Premier Soccer League crown has turned into a brutal duel between the Buccaneers and Masandawana. With the margins so tight, the closeness of the race is setting up a dramatic photo finish to the season.
The Belgian tactician has named his preliminary squad ahead of the friendly games against Panama later in March. The games have been lined up as part of Bafana's preparations for the global football bonanza in the middle of this year. Already, the coach's preliminary squad has been analysed, and questions have arisen on who should be in and who does not deserve a place in it.
The Buccaneers coach was expected to show frustration at the opponent’s goalkeeper for denying the Soweto giants a chance to widen their lead in the Premier Soccer League. Instead, the former Marumo Gallants tactician praised the custodian for his heroic performance. In a moment of admiration, he described the goalkeeper’s display by offering one of the most spiritual applauses for the match-saving efforts.
Despite settling for a single point in Saturday’s encounter, finishing chances were scarce, and the situation could have turned far more disastrous for the title-chasing Sea Robbers. However, a timely half-time talk from the Bucs’ tactical team proved crucial, as Ouaddou explained that his side intensified their efforts and were rightfully rewarded with a goal.
Even though the Premier Soccer League title has entered a critical juncture, the Sea Robbers could not beat Siwelele and ended up dropping points. The Buccaneers were not lethal in front of goal and wasted many goal-scoring opportunities, with blame placed squarely on their strikers. But according to their legend, all is not lost, and Pirates still have a high chance of winning the title.
Referees play a critical role in any football competition but a long line of controversial decisions in South African football are undermining the integrity of the officials. Virtually all of the PSL's coaches have pointed out various refereeing mistakes during the season but, as the 33-year-old former Mamelodi Sundowns player points out, the officals who make these mistakes rarely, if ever, are punished for their errors.
Orlando Pirates
