After a disappointing campaign in the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, South Africa's focus is on the 2026 global football showpiece. Already, preparations have started in earnest as the football association has revealed the team's training base. The Belgian tactician has given reasons why the chosen training base will be the best for his players.
Second-placed Buccaneers are determined to topple Mamelodi Sundowns from the summit of the Premier Soccer League standings, while Amakhosi are equally motivated to climb up from fourth spot. The stakes are high in this match, with both giants sensing an opportunity to shift the balance at the top. A defender from the Sea Robbers believes the occasion carries a special intensity beyond just the bragging rights.
Just like the Buccaneers, the Glamour Boys hope to have their top stars available for the highly anticipated clash. Ahead of the showdown, Amakhosi coach has delivered an update on who could feature and who is ruled out entirely. The update includes a player who has not played for Amakhosi so far this year.
The Buccaneers have been grappling with a few fitness concerns in recent days, forcing the technical team to carefully manage player workloads. The coach has been trying to deal with the situation through a well-managed rotation policy, making full use of his huge squad. They now head into a clash against Amakhosi, a fixture that will provide another stern test of their depth.
The duel between South Africa's football giants is set to grab the limelight as the Premier Soccer League rivals from Soweto clash on Saturday. Both Amakhosi and the Buccaneers will need the points from the game to boost their chances of winning the league title. Apart from the three points up for grabs, the Sea Robbers and the Glamour Boys will be fighting for the fixture's bragging rights.
The absence of the midfielder from the Buccaneers starting line-up has been very conspicuous in the last few matches. What makes his absence even more noticeable is the fact that he had an impressive run in the first round of the season, and many expected the former Mamelodi Sundowns star to be as important in the second round. Should he continue to experience limited playtime, then his chances of making it into the Bafana Bafana World Cup squad will be jeopardised.
The former South Africa Under-23 star has been in the United States since January 2023, where he has steadily worked his way into the first team at his Major League Soccer club. The centre-back has grown with consistent performances at the heart of defence. His impressive outings have even sparked calls for him to be considered for senior national team duty with the South Africa national football team.
The two biggest rivals in South African football are set to meet for the first time this season in the top-tier assignment. Neither the Glamour Boys nor the Sea Robbers have been doing well in their recent games. However, with the bragging rights at stake, expect some thrilling football from the pair.
The former Buccaneers midfielder has insisted that just one single player at the Glamour Boys is good enough to break into Abdeslam Ouaddou's starting eleven right now. With both teams struggling for form ahead of the Soweto Derby, there will be several players dreaming of putting their hands up and being the hero for their club.
The Glamour Boys have suffered two defeats in a row and three in the last five games across all competitions. Despite having an arguably quality squad as compared to the previous seasons, Amakhosi are at risk of ending the ongoing campaign without a trophy after elimination from the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup has left just the league title available to them.
The ex-Glamour Boys player was arrested on October 9, 2025, in possession of an illegal substance by the Zimbabwe Police. The 35-year-old former Warriors international has been in custody since then as the authorities were putting together enough evidence to prove him guilty of the aforementioned offense.
Earlier in the 2025/26 season, the Premier Soccer League had four teams competing on the continent. Orlando Pirates were the only team that failed to make the group stage as they were undone by St Eloi Lupopo. Amakhosi were eliminated from the CAF Confederation Cup's pool phase alongside Stellenbosch. Currently, it is only Mamelodi Sundowns who are in the CAF Champions League quarter-final as the only Mzansi representative.
The Glamour Boys have stumbled into a worrying dip in form at the worst possible time, just as they gear up for a high-stakes clash against a traditional rival. Performances have gone down noticeably, raising fresh doubts about their mental strength heading into the blockbuster encounter. A former player who once called Naturena home believes this slump was inevitable, insisting the warning signs had been there for weeks.
The competition between the two top custodians in the country has been stiff, with both hoping to make the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Interestingly, the duo has been crucial as the Sea Robbers and the Glamour Boys aim at dethroning Mamelodi Sundowns in the PSL.
The Cape Winelands outfit bolstered their squad mid-season with a number of experienced players, including two recruits from the Buccaneers. Veteran coach Gavin Hunt is now tasked with guiding his side from the dreaded chop as the season enters its decisive phase. It has since been disclosed whether the Maroons will retain one of their mid-season signings beyond the current campaign.
The 21-year-old has been on a steady rise in recent years, transforming his career. From being an Amakhosi discard, he rebuilt his reputation to become one of the standout performers in the Premier Soccer League while turning out for TS Galaxy. He is now forging a club career overseas as he looks to scale even greater heights, including in international football.
The Brazilians are chasing the Premier Soccer League crown as well as the CAF Champions League after the recent loss to TS Galaxy in the Nedbank Cup's Round of 16. Fringe players were given a chance to prove their worth but ended up struggling against the Rockets to crash out of the annual domestic competition.
The Glamour Boys lost their second game in a row across all competitions on Tuesday when they fell to Gavin Hunt's Maroons. It was an unwelcome result in the club's bid to win the Premier Soccer League in the ongoing campaign. Amakhosi are now at risk of ending the 2025/26 season without silverware despite the promising start to the term.
The biggest fixture on the South African football calendar is under the microscope as Stadium Management SA (SMSA) gears up for a high-stakes derby. Ahead of the clash between Amakhosi and the Buccaneers at FNB Stadium, CEO Bertie Grobbelaar has announced that an independent firm, Fan Services, has been recruited to handle ticket scanning following a series of technical embarrassments during recent high-profile matches.
The duo arrived from Cape Town Spurs earlier this season amid expectations they would quickly establish themselves as regulars at Amakhosi. Instead, they have battled to impose themselves and have struggled to deliver what many anticipated. Their slow start has sparked questions over whether the Soweto giants made the right call in bringing them to Naturena.
The Amakhosi faithful finally got a glimpse of their summer recruit on Tuesday night, but his bright debut was marred by a familiar result as they fell 2-1 to Stellenbosch FC at FNB Stadium, continuing a miserable record against the Winelands side that has now seen them lose three times this season across various competitions.
The 27-year-old last played a competitive football match in November 2025 while on loan at Orbit College from Orlando Pirates. He was apparently playing while carrying a thigh injury that flared up again after his shock move to Chloorkop in January. Now, as February draws to a close, rumours have started swirling about why the winger has yet to make an appearance in a match day squad at Masandawana.
It was the same old story for Amakhosi as they fell to their third straight defeat at the hands of the Winelands club. They dominated possession and chances created, especially in the first half, but failed to take their opportunities before letting their opponents score twice from their three shots on target. Afterwards, the Glamour Boys co-coach faced the media repeating the same old message of missed chances to blame for another damaging defeat.
The Buccaneers will be under intense scrutiny to see if they have the character to rise from their recent slump and get their Premier Soccer League campaign back on track. All eyes will be on whether they can show the mentality required of true title contenders. The ultimate test will be if they have what it takes to dethrone Mamelodi Sundowns, who have dominated the league for eight consecutive seasons.
After heartbreaking results in the CAF Confederation Cup and in the Nedbank Cup campaigns, Amakhosi's focus was turned to the Premier Soccer League. Following a 10-day rest, the Glamour Boys could not manage to collect even a single point. For Gavin Hunt, the pressure is expected to ease after masterminding Stellies' back-to-back wins against his former side.
Orlando Pirates
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