Richards Bay news

The Buccaneers striker has been set a daunting challenge to find his shooting boots in the PSL title run in, with a club legend suggesting a traditional intervention is required. Since arriving from Richards Bay FC at the start of the current campaign, the 24-year-old has found himself under the microscope as he attempts to lead the line for one of Africa’s most demanding fanbases. While his return of seven goals and three assists from 21 appearances is respectable, the standard at the Buccaneers remains sky-high.

The Sea Robbers managed a slim victory at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium to earn points that firmly keep them in the Premier Soccer League title. However, the match was overshadowed by a controversy; the referee initially pointed to the penalty spot for a Bucs penalty, only to overturn the decision after consultation with his assistant. The Buccaneers coach has now revealed what he thinks of the decision.

The Premier Soccer League title race is fast turning into a two-horse race between the Buccaneers and Mamelodi Sundowns. But even then, some are ready to put their money on Masandawana winning the race again despite the Ghost showing a strong interest in the title. One of those who is sceptical about the Sea Robbers winning the league is the Polokwane City coach, and he has his reasons.

The 27-year-old began the season in scintillating form for the Buccaneers, a run that earned him a recall to the national team and a place in the squad for the 2025 AFCON finals. However, his fortunes have dipped since returning from the continental tournament, with his form and game time coming under scrutiny. His agent has since claimed the player is being frozen out for other reasons than his performances on the pitch.

Both Masandawana and the Sea Robbers have been doing well in the race for the league crown, where they are both on 44 points from the 19 games played so far. Some stakeholders feel this is the time when the Buccaneers can beat the Brazilians to the title and end their decade-long dominance, where they have been crowned eight times in a row.

The Soweto giants have been struggling in recent matches, piling more pressure on their already embattled technical team. The disappointing results have deepened concerns as frustration continues to grow among supporters. Amakhosi now risk finishing the season empty-handed and could even fall outside the top eight, missing out on an MTN8 berth for next season.

The Sea Robbers had to rely on a late show to overcome a stubborn Rise and Shine outfit, with second-half strikes from Relebohile Mofokeng and Patrick Maswanganyi doing the damage. However, the wet and uneven conditions made life difficult for the Soweto giants, leading Ouaddou to question why a Premier Soccer League fixture was not moved to the modern World Cup venue situated right next door.

The Ghost survived a scare against Rise and Shine in Limpopo but will be happy to go back home with a narrow victory from the match at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Wednesday. More importantly for the Soweto giants, they are still at the summit of the Premier Soccer League log.

The 48-year-old is currently the head coach of the Kenya national team and remains strongly linked with several clubs, including Kaizer Chiefs. He was also touted as a possible successor to Jose Riveiro at Orlando Pirates before the Buccaneers settled for Abdeslam Ouaddou.

The suspensions have come at quite a critical moment for Amakhosi, who desperately need to return to winning ways before things get even worse. One of the suspended stars just came from an injury, and he will not be available to offer his experience as the Glamour Boys tackle their next league opponents. The Soweto giants will host Durban City at the FNB Stadium on Sunday, March 15.

As Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef struggle to stabilise the boat, questions have been asked about whether the co-coaches are the right people for the job. Initially, they appeared to be on the right course when the Glamour Boys reached the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup. However, recent results have been negative, throwing the duo under the spotlight again.

There have been questions raised about some decisions made in the South African top tier, some of which have cost teams trophies as well as points. SAFA, alongside the Premier Soccer League management, has been working in conjunction with the government to improve the situation of football in the country.

The 25-year-old versatile defender joined the Soweto giants in the off-season transfer window from Portuguese second-tier outfit Alverca to help in strengthening the then Nasreddine Nabi-led Amakhosi. However, he has endured a lengthened spell on the sidelines owing to the technical team's preferences and partly owing to injuries.