Chiefs look for early season tonic against Sundowns and Pirates seek winning boost

Heavyweight clash

Kaizer Chiefs will get an early test of their potential on Saturday when they host Mamelodi Sundowns, looking to make it three straight league wins at the start of the campaign.

Chiefs are without a victory in their last 10 league meetings with Sundowns, with seven defeats and three draws. Their last league success was a 2-1 victory at Loftus Versfeld in 2021. Sundowns have outscored Chiefs 19-5 across those last 10 league encounters.

Across all competitions, Chiefs have won only one of their last 15 meetings with Sundowns. The Brazilians have won nine, with five draws. That lone Chiefs victory was an important one, as it came in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals in 2025 and they went on to lift the trophy.

There have been 114 previous meetings between Chiefs and Sundowns in all competitions since the formation of the NSL. Chiefs have claimed 42 wins to Sundowns’ 38, with another 34 games drawn. Chiefs have outscored their opponents 128-126. 

But Sundowns are winless in their last three clashes with Chiefs, with one defeat and two draws. Both league games last season ended in stalemates, contributing to Sundowns losing their grip on the Betway Premiership title, which was won by Orlando Pirates.

It would be a huge boost for new Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz if his side could claim a statement win in this one.

Whipping boys

Champions Orlando Pirates go to Chippa United on Sunday looking to get back to winning ways after they were held to a 1-1 draw by AmaZulu in midweek. 

The uncertainty around stadiums in the PSL at the start of this season means this match is again in Durban, with Chippa having moved the fixture from their Eastern Cape home.

That removes the travel burden for the Buccaneers and gives them a slight edge.

Not that they really need it against Chippa, a side they have dominated in the recent past.

Pirates have won the last six clashes in a row since a 1-1 away draw in 2023, scoring 13 goals in the process and conceding only two. 

Overall, they have won 21 of the 28 previous meetings, with three draws and four defeats, though they have not lost away to the Chilli Boys since 2016.

Chippa have started the season with a pair of draws against Lamontville Golden Arrows and Richards Bay, the second of these a ‘home’ game that was played at Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto. 

They have not won any of their last four ‘home’ fixtures (D2 L2), dating back to a victory over Siwelele in April. 

Away day blues

AmaZulu have made a bright start to the campaign despite an early exit in the MTN8 and will look to carry that form into their clash with Siwelele on Saturday.

Usuthu have developed a strong squad that should be in contention for CAF interclub football next season. They followed an opening-day league win over Stellenbosch FC, an away game played in Durban, with a hard-fought draw against Pirates. 

Siwelele have taken one point from their first two matches, including a defeat to promoted Milford FC last time out, and this could be a season of struggle for them.

They have won just once away from home since their formation at the start of the 2025/26 season, when they purchased the status of SuperSport United. That was a 2-0 success at Stellenbosch FC.

For the rest, they have nine defeats and seven draws on the road in 17 matches, including that extraordinary 7-4 loss to Sundowns in May. 

They lost 2-0 at Usuthu last season and drew 1-1 at home. 

Battle of the promoted teams

Milford FC host Kruger United in Durban on Saturday in a battle between the promoted sides early in the campaign.

Milford defeated Siwelele in their last clash and were plucky losers to Pirates before that, showing plenty of promise. Their 1-0 victory over Siwelele was their first in the top flight. 

Kruger were defeated 3-1 by Kaizer Chiefs in their league opener and then scrapped for a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Marumo Gallants to earn their first top-flight point, with the latter missing a penalty. 

Milford will be favourites and look the side better equipped for top-flight football, though, as with all promoted teams, the second half of the season can be a grind when the novelty of being in the Betway Premiership wears off.

Kruger have had the better of meetings between these sides, winning the last three to go with a single Milford success in their first encounter in September 2024.

It has been tight, though, with both of Kruger’s victories last season coming by 1-0 scorelines.

Polokwane derby

Sekhukhune United and Polokwane City clash in a local derby between two sides who have seen goals at both ends this campaign. 

Polokwane have scored seven times and conceded seven as well for 14 goals at either end in their first three matches, an average of almost five per game. 

Sekhukhune edged AmaZulu 4-3 in their MTN8 clash last weekend and have both scored and conceded five goals themselves, for 24 goals in six games between the clubs so far.

That bodes well for an exciting contest at the Seshego Stadium, and you get the sense it is a game both coaches will feel they can win, so hopefully they go for the three points.

Sekhukhune have had the better of things in the past eight meetings, leading the head-to-head 3-1, with four draws. They have yet to lose at home (W2 D2).

And for all the talk of goals, Polokwane have only scored twice in those eight clashes with Sekhukhune, with Sekhukhune netting eight times.