The talented duo was missing on Saturday as the Glamour Boys were humbled by the Soweto giants in the South African top-tier assignment. The victory for the visitors widened the gap between the two teams to 11 points, further underlining their ambition of going all the way and beating Mamelodi Sundowns to the crown.
The 30-year-old made his first appearance last weekend as the Glamour Boys hosted their old rivals, the Buccaneers, at the FNB Stadium. It happened to be a bad outing as Amakhosi suffered their worst defeat against Bucs in 25 years, which saw the Premier Soccer League hopes this season suffer a massive blow.
GOAL gives you the details to follow Amakhosi's Premier Soccer League trip to KwaZulu-Natal for a date with the Natal Rich Boyz at uMhlathuze Stadium. The match is already sold-out, giving Amakhosi more pressure to pick themselves from a difficult run of form. They are up against opponents who are keen on rising up the standings to stay safe from the relegation zone.
Amakhosi’s performance against their old foes has drawn sharp condemnation from a former Maritzburg United coach, who finds nothing positive to take from the display by the 2014/15 Premier Soccer League champions. The Glamour Boys were second best in key moments of the game as they did not show the hunger expected in such a high-stakes clash.
The Glamour Boys are enduring their worst run of form this season, having suffered three defeats in a row across all competitions. The Soweto giants hope to bounce back against the Natal Rich Boyz on Tuesday at the uMhlathuze Stadium. This will surely be a defining moment for co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze.
Amakhosi's season appears to be headed for the worst after what had looked like a promising start to the campaign. Having already missed out on the Carling Knockout, the CAF Confederation Cup, and the Nedbank Cup, the Soweto giants have seen their hopes of silverware steadily slip away. That leaves only the Premier Soccer League title to fight for, but their chances of lifting it now look increasingly faint.
Within a month, Amakhosi faced big setbacks in the season, and questions remain about whether they can quickly dust themselves off and return to winning ways. Elimination from the Nedbank Cup and the CAF Confederation Cup saw the Glamour Boys' trophy ambitions go up in smoke. Fans expected them to bounce back against their traditional rivals, but they were served additional heartbreak.
The Amakhosi co-coach was candid in his post-mortem of the 3-0 defeat to the Buccaneers in the Soweto Derby last weekend. Reflecting on the heavy loss, he admitted his side was their own worst enemies on the day and were to blame. The Burundian conceded that in a fixture as big as the derby, their players simply did not show up.
The South African top-tier side has been frequently making changes in the technical team since their promotion to the top. So far, three men have been sacked this season, and most recently, the Technical Director followed suit. The club management has now come clear on the decision made a couple of days ago.
After facing off in the first Soweto derby of the season, both Bucs and the Sea Robbers are staring at bad news. Amakhosi and the Buccaneers will be in action in the midweek but will have to do duties without key players. The stars are suspended, meaning the coaches of the respective teams will have to look out for alternatives.
The former Bafana Bafana coach is currently unattached, with his last stints being outside South Africa in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran. He has been linked to Kaizer Chiefs and replacing Hugo Broos in the national team. His tenure at the Cairo giants is still being debated.
To beat Amakhosi, the Buccaneers needed their players to be in top form, and one of those who really showed up is a Bafana Bafana forward. The victory was huge for the Sea Robbers, as it kept them tightly in the title race. For the Glamour Boys, a poor form that has been witnessed recently persisted.
Premier Soccer League action continued this weekend as the campaign rolled into matchday 19, with teams jostling for crucial points in the race for honours and survival. While the Soweto Derby featuring Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates understandably hogged the limelight, other teams were also in action, quietly shaping the standings and adding fresh twists to an increasingly competitive season.
Amakhosi were humiliated by their old rivals in a contest where they offered little resistance for the better part of the afternoon. By their co-coach’s own admission, they were out of the game and were outplayed by their opponents. The damaging result also appeared to have caught the attention of their former coach, adding to the growing scrutiny on their performance.
Amakhosi have lost four of their last five matches, managing just one win in that stretch. The worrying form has hit the team after what had been a promising start to the campaign. It is a run that reflects the crumbling fortunes of the Soweto giants as momentum slips away at a crucial stage of the season.
As he shines, the promising attacker has been linked with a move to the Premier Soccer League's big three. According to transfer rumours, he is the most sought-after talent right now in the country. However, he has been advised to take his time before making a rushed decision to join either the Buccaneers, Masandawana or Amakhosi.
The Glamour Boys’ co-coach subtly highlighted some moments as contributing to their loss, though he conceded that the Buccaneers were the better side on Saturday. However, the Moroccan tactician on the other dugout did not take kindly to such remarks, dismissing them with a clap back.
The Derby is one of the most emotionally charged fixtures in South African football, where nerves and pressure can either inspire brilliance or lead to costly mistakes. By focusing on emotional control and mental readiness in the build-up, Ouaddou appears to have struck the right chord, a psychological approach that translated into a composed and ruthless performance from the Buccaneers.
The Glamour Boys co-coach has broken his silence regarding the intensifying pressure on his position following a disastrous run of form that has seen the Naturena outfit fall off the pace in the league and eliminated from both the Nedbank Cup and CAF Confederation Cup. Amakhosi have endured a nightmare February, losing four of their last five matches across all competitions, leaving fans questioning whether the current technical team is capable of restoring the club’s former glory.
The Buccaneers bounced back from their back-to-back losses with a resounding victory over their traditional rivals this weekend. The win put the Soweto giants top of the Premier Soccer League table with 41 points, 11 more than the Glamour Boys and three ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns, who will host Sekhukune United on Sunday.
The Amakhosi first-choice custodian was not available, and his replacement endured a leaky outing on his return, which happened on the big stage as he started in goal for the first time since May 2025. On an afternoon meant to remind everyone of his pedigree, he instead appeared vulnerable between the sticks, and his performance could raise fresh doubts about him.
The Glamour Boys failed to turn up for the party at the FNB Stadium as their traditional rivals, the Buccaneers, literally walked on them. The technical team made some big calls on the material day that didn't work as anticipated from the first to the final whistle. The hosts could have easily got a hiding, but their opponents missed some big chances.
A promising season is crumbling as the Glamour Boys supporters witness a familiar disappointing story after the latest defeat in the South African top-tier. The Burundian tactician has admitted that his charges were outsmarted by their traditional rivals, who are favourites, alongside Mamelodi Sundowns, to go all the way.
Bafana Bafana are heavily powered by players plying their trade in the Premier Soccer League; that local pedigree has helped turn them into a formidable force on the African continent. A former star who enjoyed a glittering club career across Europe has been charmed by what he has witnessed in South Africa’s domestic scene, insisting the structure and brand of football on display are qualities worth emulating.
Both the Glamour Boys and the Sea Robbers came into Saturday's game desperate for maximum points after recent back-to-back losses. While the Ghost needed victory to make it five PSL wins in a row, their hosts wanted to ensure they remain in contention by claiming three points to keep alive their dream of ending the season with silverware.
The Tshwane giants face a tough challenge of defending the league crown after a dominance that has stretched for eight seasons straight. What makes it an even more entertaining race is the fact that the two Soweto giants are pushing hard and Downs are inconsistent. As the marathon intensifies, the defending champions have been told not to look for favours elsewhere but must do it by themselves.
Richards Bay
