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.
It has been a memorable year in South African football, marked by plenty of excitement and several major achievements. Bafana Bafana qualified for both the Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The junior national teams played in major international tournaments and flew the country’s flag high.
The Glamour Boys and the Sea Robbers, just like the other Premier Soccer League teams, will have a month or so to strengthen their squads in their bid to achieve the set objectives in the ongoing 2025/26 campaign, both domestically and abroad. While Amakhosi continue rebuilding, the Buccaneers want to sustain their already impressive quality.
The 61-year-old parted ways with the Premier Soccer League newbies, Durban City, a couple of weeks ago after falling out with the management. He has now been given another massive assignment with the Western Cape Province-outfit who have not had a good start to the ongoing 2025/26 campaign. They are currently struggling for consistency.
The tournament is one of the best-attended events in December, drawing spectators from far and wide every year. The tournament in question is one of the oldest in the country, but this year's edition was rocked by a controversial incident that forced one match to be abandoned. This is another incident that has been reported after a football administrator was killed in another annual tournament in Limpopo.
Following the surprising departure of Steve Barker from the Cape Winelands outfit to join Simba SC in Tanzania, Stellies were faced with the crucial task of making the perfect appointment—someone who aligns with the club’s culture and has the ability to deliver on its mandate.
The Buccaneers have made themselves favourites to win the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League title. They currently lead the standings, enjoying a two-point lead at the top with two points ahead of second-placed Mamelodi Sundowns. That could see Abdeslam Ouaddou's men breaking Sundowns' stranglehold on the PSL after winning eight straight titles.
The MTN8-winning South Africa international defender has been playing in the Middle East after failing to get a team back at home, but it seems he might soon be heading out to Zimbabwe, where some top names from the Mzansi Premier Soccer League are playing. At 32 years old, the player, who can play any position at the back four, has a couple of seasons at the top.
The two Amakhosi players have been under stern scrutiny for struggling to show up for some games in big moments when it matters the most for the Soweto giants. But they appear to have little backing from their representative who, however, has been seen fighting in the corner of a Buccaneers star who has been finding it difficult at the ongoing AFCON tournament.
In an attempt to end Young Africans SC's dominance, the Wekundu wa Msimbazi appointed the experienced South African tactician. Barker made his name with the Winelands club, a team he mentored from a second-tier side into the Premier Soccer League. In order to boost their technical bench, the Tanzanian heavyweights are reported to be in talks with the football analyst who is expected to be incorporated into Barker's technical bench.
A former Buccaneers star has ranked South Africa’s young players, sparking a fierce debate among fans. This comes at a time when South African football is experiencing a wave of exciting emerging talent, some of whom have already become key figures in the Bafana Bafana setup. The rise of these players has boosted confidence about the long-term future of the national side.
While the Masandawana faithful have been enjoying a breather, with the Africa Cup of Nations taking centre stage and little to worry about regarding their team, the Buccaneers have headed into the Premier Soccer League break in high spirits. And they will be looking to pick up exactly where they left off and maintain their momentum when league action resumes.
The Bafana coach has stressed that the young defender is already ripe to test himself in a well-established and developed competition like the leagues in Europe. The experienced tactician was not particularly impressed when the defender completed a move to Major League Soccer just before the AFCON finals began. Giving an example of how Mbokazi played against the Pharaohs, the Belgian insisted his defender needs better competition.
The South African side will be on high alert as they look to fix the lapses that cost them in their last outing, turning their attention to the Warriors on Monday—a side that has repeatedly shown they are tough to break down and never shied away from testing Bafana's resolve in past encounters.
The striker's contract with his current club is understood to be ending when the ongoing season concludes. He has been linked with a number of Premier Soccer League sides, including the Buccaneers, who need a prolific forward to help them chase more trophies. The AFCON star has been linked with the Sea Robbers at a time when there is more speculation on Tshegofatso Mabasa, who has fallen down the pecking order.
In a bid to stabilise the boat rocked by inconsistency in their ongoing Premier Soccer League season, the club have made a wide range of changes. The club have brought on board key figures that are experienced in top-flight football, hoping their arrival will give them the positive results they are yearning for. The newly appointed figures have enough time to strategise and come up with a working plan before the season resumes after the AFCON break.
The 21-year-old has been recognised just five months after signing for Al Ettifaq from the Buccaneers, underlining the promise he has already shown and hinting at even bigger contributions in the months ahead. The award is a timely reward that could also serve as a major confidence boost at the ongoing AFCON finals, inspiring him to perform at a higher level and emerge as one of the tournament’s standout players.
The Buccaneers are revamping their squad as the PSL transfer window looms, with two players having left the club. The PSL log leaders are also set to bring in a new attacker to reinforce a squad bidding to complete a quadruple this season, after their MTN8 and Carling Knockout success. A rapid attacker was not short of admirers after becoming a free agent following his Bucs exit and GOAL has been exclusively been informed that he has signed a long-term deal at a PSL rival.
The Buccaneers went for this current international break leading the PSL table and relegating Sundowns to second place. The Soweto giants enjoy two points clear at the top, having played a game less than the Brazilians. That gives them a crucial edge ahead of the resumption of league action in January.
Sekhukhune United
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