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Big Match Feature: Brazilians and Buccaneers in top-of-table clash

football30 October 2025 07:20| © Mzansi Football
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© SuperSport

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates meet at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday in a clash that could determine the outcome of this season’s Betway Premiership. Catch the action live on SuperSport.

While the season is only a third of the way completed, it is the two clubs who have emerged again as the sides who look most likely to win the championship come the end of the season.

But while previous campaigns have seen Sundowns rapidly build up a major points advantage over their rivals, it is a lot tighter this time round and will ensure an intriguing clash live on SuperSport (kick-off 3:30pm).

That makes Saturday’s clash vital for both sides. Sundowns have a three-point advantage but have played two more matches. If they win, the Brazilians will stretch that to six points, but if Pirates pull off an away triumph, then they will feel they are on track for a first league title in more than a decade.

PREVIOUS CLASHES

This is the third meeting between the two sides this season after their MTN8 semifinal, which ended 2-2 on aggregate over two legs and saw Pirates win 4-1 on post-match penalties. The last league clash between the two saw Pirates also emerge victorious with a 2-1 home win in March, courtesy of Relebogile Mofokeng’s double, but their last visit to Loftus was one month before that and saw Sundowns hand them a 4-1 thumping with a masterclass from Brazilian playmaker Lucas Ribeiro.

Sundowns are unbeaten in their last seven home league matches against the Sea Robbers. It was in January 2018 that Pirates last won a league game in the capital, when Mpho Makola, Luvuyo Memela, and Ntsikelelo Nyauza scored for the Buccaneers in a 3-1 triumph. Saturday’s clash will be the 117th between the two clubs, with Sundowns 47-34 ahead in the win count.

ATTACK

Sundowns have netted 17 league goals this season, but in 10 matches, it means an average of less than two per game. Last season, their 65-goal tally in 28 games was an impressive average of 2.6 goals per match. Pirates have scored 10 goals in eight Betway Premiership games in this campaign, and last season also had a mediocre average with 43 goals in their league fixtures.

Iqraam Rayners has six league goals this season, but injury has kept him out of their last two games. Peter Shalulile has proven a more than capable replacement, and five previous goals against Pirates feature among his career record-breaking total of 132 top-flight goals in South African football.

Pirates’ league goals this new campaign have been spread among eight players, with Patrick Maswanganyi and Tshepang Moremi scoring a double. But Sundowns will not be relishing playing against Kamogelo Sebelebele, who scored against them in both legs of the MTN8 semifinal in August.

DEFENCE

Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou was angry his side conceded a stoppage-time goal to Magesi in the Carling Knockout, doing so as they showboated in the closing stages on top of a two-goal lead. He feels it is unnecessary.

“In the league, every goal is very important, especially at the end (of the season),” he warned.

Pirates have only conceded three league goals, when they lost to Marumo Gallants and Sekhukhune United in an opening-season shock double defeat in the league. Their last six league games, however, have all seen clean sheets for the best defensive record in the Betway Premiership.

Sundowns’ tally of goals let in is five in ten games, also evidence of a healthy defence even if they have had injury woes at the back with the likes of Grant Kekana and Mothobi Mvalase out for several games and Khuliso Mudau making a belated start to the season as he tried to force a move away from the club at the start of the season.

SELECTION

Sundowns will not be able to field new Portuguese signing Miguel Reisinho who is suspended after a red card in their cup loss to Marumo Gallants but will hope to have Rayners and Malibongwe Khoza, who had an ankle issue, back in contention, albeit they both might start on the bench.

Sundowns should go with the attacking trio of Tashreeq Matthews, Arthur Sales and Shalulile, with Marcelo Allende and Teboho Mokoena in midfield. On Tuesday, Pirates made six changes to the line-up from their African Champions League tie on Saturday when they took on Magesi in the Carling Knockout with Ouaddou resting players for the clash against Sundowns.

It is likely Namibian veteran Deon Hotto will be back on the left and Thalente Mbatha and Sihle Ndlui return to their defensive midfield roles. A place could also be found for Sebelebele.

WHAT COMES AFTER

Sundowns’ immediate interest after Saturday’s game will be on Monday’s Champions League draw where they will find out the identity of their group phase opponents. It is the 11th successive season they have qualified for the last-16 of the continent’s top club competition.

They are next on the pitch on Wednesday at home to TS Galaxy at Loftus. Pirates’ next two fixtures are both away in KwaZulu-Natal, starting with Lamontville Golden Arrows in midweek and then the Carling Knockout semifinal at Richards Bay on the weekend of 8-9 November.

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