All eyes will be at Loftus Versfeld as Orlando Pirates visit Mamelodi Sundowns for a blockbuster Betway Premiership clash on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 15:30.
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The highly-anticipated encounter is an unmissable headlining act of the upcoming round of fixtures, whose result holds significance to the title race with the two rivals nestled in the top three of the standings with very little between them.
A sell-out crowd is expected in Tshwane as two of the biggest clubs in South Africa collide in another exciting instalment of one of the country’s most iconic rivalries.
Pole position
Having started yet another Betway Premiership season as defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns find themselves in pole position a third of the way through their campaign. They have collected 21 out of a possible 30 points in their 10 matches, losing only once.
Their sole league defeat occurred towards the end of September – in an away outing against Lamontville Golden Arrows – and they have since bounced back emphatically with a 4-1 thumping of Richards Bay on home turf.
The latter result helped maintain their perfect record in Tshwane, where they’ve won each of their four league games while scoring 12 times and conceding just twice.
Domestic and continental cup competition has drawn the Tshwane giants’ attention away from Betway Premiership action in recent weeks, but they will carry some winning momentum into their first league match in over a month.
An early exit in the Carling Knockout is the only blemish to their recent form, and they’ve gone on to win home and away in their two-legged CAF Champions League tie against Nigeria’s Remo Stars where they secured a convincing 7-1 aggregate win.
Some first-team regulars will be missing against the Buccaneers with midfielders Teboho Mokoena and Miguel Reisinho both suspended after picking up a yellow and a red card, respectively.
Bucs Team News
There will be a degree of confidence in the Orlando Pirates camp after a successful midweek outing at home saw them progress to the semi-finals of the Carling Knockout.
They now set their sights on their first fixture away from home in a period of two weeks, which presents them a chance to draw level on points with the log leaders while also holding two games in hand.
Currently in third place, the Buccaneers’ steady climb up the standings has come courtesy of the league’s longest ongoing winning streak.
They have dispatched each of their last six Betway Premiership opponents, netting nine goals without conceding, and hold the best defensive record with only three scored against them in eight matches.
It’s a run that could have been even more prolonged across competitions if not for a rare stumble in the CAF Champions League, where they suffered a heavy defeat against Saint-Éloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi.
That defeat is just one of two away losses suffered by the Soweto giants throughout the current campaign, having only emerged on the losing side in the league on the second match day.
They take the short trip to Tshwane having been recently bolstered by Deano van Rooyen’s return to full fitness, while the likes of Tshegofatso Mabasa and Sihle Nduli could be back in action after playing no part in Tuesday night’s victory.
Head-to-Head
This will be the fifth and final clash between the two sides in the calendar year, following some unforgettable encounters in league and cup football.
Each team secured a home league victory during the latter half of the 2024/25 season while their MTN8 semi-final match-up was a neck-and-neck affair which produced a 2-2 aggregate score after the second leg, with Orlando Pirates eventually prevailing by notching up a 5-2 win in the penalty shootout.
Despite clinching some notable victories over their Gauteng rivals, league success in Tshwane has eluded Orlando Pirates in the last few years.
Their last away win dates back to January 2018 when goals from Ntsikelelo Nyauza, Mpho Makola and Luvuyo Memela handed them a convincing 3-1 win at Loftus Versfeld.
Overall, there remains very little to separate the two teams in head-to-head results dating back to the turn of the millennium, with the Buccaneers boasting 21 wins in 61 matches played in all competitions – just three behind the Brazilians’ tally – while
Sixteen matches finished in a draw.
TV Coverage and Ticket Info
The fixture will be televised live on SuperSport PSL and SABC 1.
Tickets are sold out and will not be available at the match venue.
