The Betway Premiership is heading toward a dramatic photo finish as league debutants Orbit College find themselves holding the keys to the South African football kingdom. In a classic David versus Gol...
The 16 Premier Soccer League teams in the Betway Premiership are edging closer to the end of a gruelling 10-month season as they prepare for their final two matchday league fixtures.
Mamelodi Sundown...
TS Galaxy coach Adnan Beganovic says his team is eager for even more success as they aim to end the year inside the top eight.
The Rockets recorded their fourth straight victory at Mbombela Stadium with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Golden Arrows, moving them up to sixth place with 19 points collected from the 12 matches they have played this season.
Beganovic and his chargers not only extended their impressive run of form but also handed Manqoba Mngqithi and his side their third defeat in four games.
Attention will now turn to their next challenge against Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday (18:00 kickoff), a potential tie-breaker with both teams sitting level on 19 points from 12 fixtures.
Although their home form has been impressive, the Galaxy coach will approach the upcoming clash mindful that their performances away from home have been far less reliable. They have suffered three defeats in their last five away matches, picked up just one draw, and their only victory on the road came in a 3-1 win over Orbit College in August.
Beganovic drew a lot of confidence from his side’s victory over Abafana Bes’thende and expressed satisfaction with the progress they have made with help from the Fifa break.
“It was a difficult game, Arrows is always a tough opponent and they play on transition and its so difficult to defend against them. Beganovic told Supersport TV.
“We know every team, and we prepare for every team, we are still hungry for points and we want to improve more and more with every game. We used the Fifa break to prepare our team to look physically good to run for the 90 minutes.”
The Bosnian mentor added that he has been putting in steady work to bring his team to a unified level, ensuring every player meets the required standard so that performance levels remain consistent on match days.
With the season set for another lengthy break soon, the 42-year-old coach outlined a few goals for his side to ensure they finish the year strongly, especially after their difficulties with the Fifa ban and the struggles they faced at the start of the season.
“We had some injuries but we sorted everything out, we want every players on par, and I want to see the same attitude, fight and desire for winning from every player.
“We are still on 19 points and we still have two games to play, its our goal to stay in the top eight, I want to give credit to players and how we are growing together.” he concluded.
As the Orlando Pirates prepare to host Chippa United at Orlando Stadium on Tuesday evening, coach Abdeslam Ouaddou remains firmly optimistic about his squad’s progress and their adherence to his tactical philosophy.
Following a rocky start to the season, Ouaddou has successfully led the Buccaneers to an impressive turnaround, stringing together a series of victories that have reinvigorated their title ambitions.
The season began with uncertainty for Ouaddou, as questions about his appointment lingered after two consecutive defeats in the Betway Premiership. However, the situation quickly transformed following the Buccaneers’ triumphant run, marked by four consecutive wins in the MTN8 and seven victories from their next eight league fixtures.
This resurgence has brought them within striking distance of league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns, with Pirates sitting just three points behind and still holding two games in hand.
Central to their success has been a focus on discipline and tactical consistency.
“Step by step they get it; you can see that the players are on the project,” Ouaddou said regarding his squad’s adaptation to his game plan.
“We want to score goals and we want to be tactically disciplined. You can see that Orlando Pirates are consistent, they’re strong — it’s not easy to score goals against us.”
With their last league outing resulting in a commanding 3-1 victory over Golden Arrows, Pirates have also secured a place in the Carling Knockout final against Marumo Gallants on December 6.
This success highlighted stellar performances from players such as Tshepang Moremi, who has made an impactful entrance since joining from Usuthu. The 25-year-old winger has energised the squad with eight goals in 17 appearances and has emerged as a key figure during the recent streak.
In contrast, Chippa United are struggling at the bottom of the league table, still searching for their first win under new manager Vusumuzi Vilakazi. Despite a promising start with a 0-0 draw against Magesi, the club remain two points adrift of safety after a tough opening, including a 3-0 defeat to AmaZulu.
Pirates’ upcoming opposition have faced defensive challenges, conceding the second-most goals in the league this season. Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali will be crucial to Chippa’s hopes of holding back a prolific Pirates attack.
Despite his efforts, including three clean sheets from 11 starts, the pressure remains on Chippa’s defence, which has let in 19 goals so far.
As the teams prepare to clash, the dynamics are clear: Orlando Pirates are riding a wave of confidence, while Chippa United grapple with instability. The Buccaneers hope to continue their ascent, while Chippa aim to pull off a surprise and turn their season around.
The blossoming coaching duo of Dr Elsje Jordaan and Bongi Msomi, who led the Gauteng Golden Fireballs to Telkom Netball League glory earlier this year, will hope to do the same for the Johannesburg under-21 and senior teams at next week’s Spar National Netball League in Boksburg, Gauteng.
The triumph in Durban heralded the extension of a fruitful partnership going back to the days when Msomi, the celebrated former national team skipper, played under Jordaan at the Fireballs and for the Proteas.
She took another huge step forward in her fledgling coaching career as Jordaan’s assistant at the TNL but continues to prove herself as a head coach – guiding the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to the 2025 USSA title. Her reputation would only be enhanced should she guide the Johannesburg Netball Association (JNA) U21 A-side to back-to-back titles.
“I’m super-excited to have another chance to coach the JNA team. We did really well last year and finished as champions,” Msomi said.
“We know this year is going to be tough. All the Under-21s that were part of the World Cup (in Gibraltar) are back in their districts, which is gong to lead to great competition. It’s hard to tell who is going to be at the top but, like we did last year, we’re going to take it one game at a time.”
While the Baby Proteas will be back in action, the Proteas players will miss this year’s championships as they will be in camp preparing to defend their African Netball Cup title in Malawi early in December.
With a record 119 districts competing for the senior A title at the championships, Jordaan also knows that she will have her work cut out for her in trying to secure a fourth title in a row for the Johannesburg senior team.
“JNA have won the championships in the last three years and we’re proud of those results, but it’s a new year with new challenges and teams, and we are working hard at the moment and we’re hoping that we can defend our title. We hope for a good tournament where we can play good, solid netball,” she said.
More than 2 200 players and 196 umpires and technical officials will descend on Dr EG Jansen High School for the feast of netball from Monday, December 1.
The schedule for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 has been officially released.
The 16th edition of the tournament will be jointly hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe and is set to showcase the world's finest up-and-coming cricket talent.
The competition will run from 15 January to 6 February 2026, featuring 41 matches over 23 days.
South Africa's opening match is scheduled against Afghanistan on 16 January at the HP Oval in Namibia.
The tournament format remains consistent with previous iterations: 16 teams will be divided into four groups in the first stage.
ICC Chairman, Jay Shah, expressed his anticipation for the event, highlighting its role in developing future cricket stars.
"The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has long been the cradle of greatness, a tournament that reveals not just the next generation of cricketers, but the next generation of icons,"said Shah.
"From Brian Lara and Sanath Jayasuriya to Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Shubman Gill, the event has consistently shaped the future of our sport."
Shah also emphasised the platform the tournament provides for young players.
"As we look ahead to the 2026 edition in Zimbabwe and Namibia, we are excited to provide young cricketers with a world-class platform that mirrors the standards and pressures of senior international cricket. This tournament is where dreams are ignited, rivalries are born, and the global cricketing landscape begins to take its next form.”
Tournament Debut and Returning Teams
The 16-team tournament begins on 15 January with three matches:
India takes on the USA.
Zimbabwe goes up against Scotland.
Tanzania takes on the West Indies.
This edition marks Tanzania's tournament debut, while Japan, who previously featured in the 2020 edition, also returns.
"We are especially pleased to welcome Tanzania as they make their debut and join a truly global field of teams," Shah added. "I extend my warmest wishes to all participating squads as they embark on this remarkable journey, representing their countries with pride and promise."
The participating teams are due to arrive on 8 January, with warm-up matches scheduled from 9–14 January.
The 16 teams have been divided into the following groups:
Group A: India, Bangladesh, USA, New Zealand Group B: Zimbabwe, Pakistan, England, Scotland Group C: Australia, Ireland, Japan, Sri Lanka Group D: Tanzania, West Indies, Afghanistan, South Africa
*This article was first published by Eye Witness News
The Springboks were praised by the French media for building depth in their squad over the past few years – and the ability to field “a whole different team from one week to the other” – with assistant coach Felix Jones revealing it was borne out of a desire to give everyone a fair crack at the jersey.
The Boks are gearing up to face Six Nations champions France at the Stade de France on Saturday, and ahead of the clash, Jones was quizzed on South Africa’s rotation policy that has become the envy of the rugby world.
“We just feel currently we have a way of doing things which is keeping the players engaged, keeping them competitive,” Jones said at a media conference on Monday.
"Obviously, there is disappointment in not being selected but keeping them producing their own performances, producing assistance for the guys who are in the team, who are in the 23."
“The word ‘dropped’ is genuinely not in our thinking. It’s more of a rotation and trying to give everyone a fair crack to show what they can do for South Africa, and the byproduct of that is we obviously end up building a little bit of depth because we can get caps into guys.
“But the season is long – for the URC, for the European Cup, for the international season. There are obviously so many games, so it’s difficult for one player to play 15, 14, 13 Tests all season now when the games are so physical that rotation is needed. So that’s the thinking.”
Bok hooker Johan Grobbelaar has been one of the beneficiaries of this rotation policy and feels it’s necessary to ensure the national team doesn’t stagnate.
“You need to keep on building your squad, giving young guys opportunities; otherwise, it will reach a point where there are just some experienced guys and you’re left with a gap with too many young guys,” he said.
“It’s great to be rotated for me as a young guy coming in to get some more caps, so looking forward to the next few weeks.”
The Bulls forward picked up the last of his three Bok caps against Wales in November 2024 and is excited about the prospect of possibly being selected to face France this weekend.
“It would be a massive opportunity for me to play this weekend, and since I don’t have a lot of Test caps, it will be one of my biggest games yet,” said Grobbelaar.
“This is my first time in Paris, and to be here with players of this quality helps, obviously. I think it’s going to be a massive battle and I’m looking forward to it.”
Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker faces growing pressure after his side’s poor run of form in the Premiership.
Stellenbosch FC are facing a mounting crisis following their sixth defeat in just 11 league games, with alarm bells ringing throughout the ambitious Winelands club.
After a promising rise to prominence in the PSL, the club now find themselves struggling near the bottom of the table, managing only two wins this season and just one in their last five games.
This past Sunday, Stellenbosch went down 2-0 to their hosts at Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. The defeat marked a disheartening milestone, as it was the sixth time this season the club failed to find the back of the net in a Premiership match, raising questions about their attacking prowess.
The stark reality for Stellenbosch is that their once-vibrant squad has dwindled in quality due to the sale of several key players over the past few months. The loss of top talent has prompted fans and analysts alike to scrutinise the club’s recruitment strategy.
Although the recruitment department has made commendable efforts to find suitable replacements, the new signings have not yet made the desired impact on the pitch, which has led to the current slump.
At the helm, coach Steve Barker — the longest-serving coach among current PSL counterparts — must navigate this precarious situation without the support of former stalwarts. While Barker has demonstrated resilience and dedication to the club, the continuous loss of key players, compounded by two high-profile departures from his technical staff to rival clubs, has placed immense pressure on his coaching strategies.
The absence of his media officer from away matches has further complicated communication, as there were no updates on Barker’s reflections following the recent game.
The club’s CEO, Rob Benadie, who was in Johannesburg for the CAF Confederation Cup, could not provide any insights into the situation either, heightening speculation about the team’s future direction and the pressure-cooker environment ingrained in the club’s infrastructure.
As Stellenbosch FC navigate this turbulent period, the urgency for a turnaround is palpable.
Fans will be watching closely to see if the club can reclaim its former glory and secure a positive trajectory as the league season unfolds, starting with a home game against lowly Siwelele FC at Athlone on Wednesday.
Cemran Dansin, the latest sensation turning heads at Orlando Pirates, announced himself in emphatic fashion this weekend when he scored a wonder goal that’s been called an early contender for the Puskás Award.
In the 35th minute of Orlando Pirates’ clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld, the 20-year-old Dansin volleyed the ball from the edge of the 18-yard area into the top corner of Ronwen Williams’ goal after the Brazilians had failed to clear Oswin Appollis’ corner kick.
That it left Williams, one of the best goalkeepers on the continent and was nominated for the Yashin Award at last year’s Ballon d’Or Awards flat-footed, made it more special. It was the perfect way to show football lovers in South Africa that you have arrived.
The strike went viral on social media, with many commentators speculating that it could be nominated for the 2026 FIFA Puskás Award, given to the player judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, or "most beautiful" goal of the calendar year.
The goal may have announced his arrival to South African football, but it’s been years in the making. According to the club’s website, the stylish midfielder spent the majority of his teenage years at the SAFA-Transnet School of Excellence, where the likes of Steven Pienaar and Daine Klate honed their skills.
In recent years, Relebohile Mofokeng and Siyabonga Mabena have graduated through the School of Excellence.
After a number of top clubs sought his services, it was the Sea Robbers that came out on top, and he joined the club ahead of the 2023/24 season, where he was thrown into the DStv Diski Challenge mix.
Last season, while captaining the side, a number of impressive showings saw him given the chance of training with the first team, where he continued to impress.
After Saturday’s game at Loftus, Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou spoke about the gamble that comes with selecting such an untested player in a big game against Sundowns, especially where a more established player in Thelente Mbatha was left on the bench.
“It’s very difficult for a coach because if you had lost that game, all he people will tell you ‘the coach put the player without experience’, but as a coach I have worked in development for five-six years," Ouaddou said in the post-match television interview.
“You have to give chance to this South African youth talent, to give them opportunity to shine, it’s what we did today in a very important game. I think this guy; it is a big experience for him and now we give him chance to grow.
“It’s what I’m going to do, I give chance to the youth, especially South African youth with the talent, we need to give them chance,” Ouaddou added.
His words clearly resonated with Dansin, who expressed both gratitude and determination after his match-winning display.
“I’m happy for the coaches, players, the staff believing in me and giving me the opportunity,” Dansin said when speaking to the Orlando Pirates’ media team.
“And, scoring in such a big game means a lot to me. I hope to keep on going and getting more chances to play,” he continued. “The coach always speaks to me about not looking at my age and being competitive. Playing for this club, it’s an honour for me. “Every time I get the opportunity, I try and give my best and not worry too much about me being the youngest. I’m just looking to fight and give everything,” he concluded.
For Pirates fans, Dansin’s dazzling strike is a glimpse into the club’s future. With his confidence, composure, and eye for the spectacular, the young midfielder looks poised to become the next big name to emerge from South Africa’s production line of talent. If Saturday was any indication, this may just be the beginning of a glittering career in black and white.
