Orlando Pirates news

The reigning Premier Soccer League champions have once again decided to break the bank and get a player they feel will help them meet their target for the season after losing a key player at the beginning of the 2025/26 season. Apart from the South African top flight, the Brazilians are hoping to challenge for the CAF Champions League crown.

In a bid to return stronger and sharper for the second round of the Premier Soccer League campaign, Masandawana have added another arsenal to their striking department. After the departure of Lucas Ribeiro, there were fears Sundowns would struggle to get another equally capable goal-scoring machine, but the Brazilians could prove doubters wrong, given who they signed in the last transfer window. Even before the new signings fully settle, the league's defending champions are set to add another star from South America.

South Africa is among the 16 teams that made it out of the initial group stage after finishing second in their pool, which had the seven-time champions Egypt who eventually topped it, alongside COSAFA duo Zimbabwe and Angola, who were eliminated. Former Buccaneers tactician hopes to see his country in the final but has branded another team as the 'most dangerous.'

The Africa Cup of Nations has reached a critical juncture where there are no second chances. Given that South Africa struggled against 10-man Egypt and were given a run for their money by Zimbabwe, there are suggestions that it is time for Hugo Broos to tweak his lineups. But can the Belgian tactician afford to massively tweak his lineup when South Africa need to win to remain competing in Morocco?

The 25-year-old former AmaZulu player has been doing well for South Africa in the biennial competition, having made two direct contributions to the five goals Hugo Broos' men scored in Group B to finish second with six points behind seven-time champions Egypt. The winger is expected to play a crucial role in the knockout phase.

The 2023/24 Carling Knockout champions have once again lost an influential figure in the dressing room amid their struggles in the Premier Soccer League, where they have been posting inconsistent results this season. Former Amakhosi coach Gavin Hunt, who took over from Steve Barker, will have to find a suitable replacement before club football resumes.

The Sea Robbers, under coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, have been exceptional in the domestic competitions this season, where they have already won two titles. The Buccaneers are also targeting the South African top-flight crown they last won more than a decade ago, but will have to do it without one of their key players.

The 20-year-old made a surprising move to Major League Soccer, where he joined the Chicago Fire, who showed interest after the youngster's consistent displays for the Sea Robbers. There have been contradicting reactions to the youngster's decision to join the latter from the Premier Soccer League; a section has been supporting while others feel otherwise.

The 1996 winners finished second in Group B, which had the seven-time champions alongside COSAFA duo Angola and Zimbabwe. South Africa were not convincing despite having fielded a team with players who have been playing together for a long time under coach Hugo Broos. Ahead of the Round of 16, the organisers have revealed a list of those who impressed in the initial phase.

South Africa face the Indomitable Lions in a 2025 AFCON Round of 16 match at Al Medina Stadium on Sunday. It is a match both sides know that there is a high possibility the winner will face hosts Morocco in the quarter-finals. Fans have reacted with much interest in this pairing between Hugo Broos' side and the Central Africans.

With the transfer market taking centre stage regarding players’ futures, the midfielder has admitted his interest in returning to the Premier Soccer League. The experienced player is hoping for “an opportunity somewhere else” after South Africa’s campaign in the African Cup of Nations. He also admitted that he would love to play for Amakhosi.

The Soweto giants have been desperately chasing the South African top-tier league glory for more than a decade now, having last claimed the crown in the 2011/12 campaign. The Buccaneers have finished second in the last three seasons, behind Mamelodi Sundowns, who have managed to win the last eight editions in a row.

The Premier Soccer League title winner left the top-flight side under unclear circumstances, and it looks like they have already secured his replacement. Under a former Amakhosi tactician, the club is pushing to finish in the top eight again, and to achieve that, they need a reliable midfield machine, which the incoming youngster promises to give.