A new season is upon us, bringing the race, this time with the potential of Kaizer Chiefs adding their hat to the ring and making it a three-way chase.

That, at least, is what their legion of fans and many impartial observers will be hoping for.

Last season’s contest between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates injected a whole new, and much-needed, lease of life into the league and boosted interest after the drudgery of Sundowns’ past dominance.

Their record-breaking run of eight successive titles was brought to a close as Pirates took advantage of Sundowns’ stumbles at the end of the campaign and held their nerve to take a first title since 2012.

Sundowns are going to want their crown back and now that they have achieved their goal of a second African Champions League title, they will likely have a more balanced approach.

Pirates, in contrast, will now want to turn their attention to winning the continental title.

Not only is it worth US $6 million (approximately R100 million) to the victor but also ensures entry to the 2029 Club World Cup where the payments from FIFA are stratospheric and will take the club up another level in terms of their budget and the players and coaches they
can afford.

It is certainly a top priority now for Pirates to try and make the next Club World Cup, as Sundowns have already done.

Pirates and Sundowns are again the South African representatives in the Champions League field while Chiefs will be competing in the African Confederation Cup on account of their third-place finish last season.

It was a much-improved campaign from AmaKhosi, despite the early- season firing of Nasreddine Nabi and the gamble to stick with his inexperienced assistants as interim coaches for the rest of the season.

Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze have moved on, elsewhere in the league, and a new-look Chiefs are hoping to restore the lustre lost over the last decade.

It is now more than a decade since the country’s most popular club were league champions, and they have been hamstrung by a series of disastrous management decisions on coaches and players.

Chiefs, for all their earning potential and multitude of corporate sponsors, patently do not have the financial resources of Sundowns and Pirates and therefore are third to every purchase.

But they have also not helped themselves with an antiquated approach towards the purchase of players that sees them miss out on all the good deals.

A three-way tussle for the title would allow South African football to continue an upwards trajectory that has come from the national team qualifying for the World Cup and Sundowns taking the top club prize on the continent.

OUTSIDER BET

There have not been many breakout teams in recent seasons. Stellenbosch finished third in successive campaigns before slipping to ninth last year.

Sekhukhune United have recorded finishes of fourth, fourth and fifth over the last three seasons, while Durban City won the Nedbank Cup in their first top-flight campaign. But it is difficult to see any real outside bets for this coming campaign.

NEW BOYS

The Village Boys, as Kruger United are nicknamed, secured promotion after winning the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

Originally from Bushbuckridge, the club has swiftly risen through the ranks after purchasing a status in the third-tier ABC Motsepe Foundation.

They secured promotion to the second tier after one season and needed only two campaigns in the MFC to win a place in the top flight to the delight of co-owners Basil Khoza and Bongani Wait.

The side are coached by Abram Mongoya and have ex-Zimbabwe international Elasto Kapowezha as sporting director.

Kruger built their promotion-winning squad around players with PSL experience, with the likes of Wandisile Letlabika, Ntsako Makhubela, Tercious Malepe and Celimpilo Ngema helping them win a place with the big boys.

BE CAREFUL OF CRASHING
Stellenbosch handed veteran coach Gavin Hunt a fresh contract after he took them from relegation danger to ninth place but then got rid of 13 players in a massive clean-out, which has come to emphasise Hunt’s modus operandi over the years. He warms to a player one day but quickly goes cold on him the next, and his last tenure at SuperSport United saw an extraordinary churn of players.

Consistency is a cornerstone of success, and too many changes can lead to disaster. Stellenbosch will be hoping Hunt finds the right recipe because they are making a fundamental change to the club ethos.

POTENTIAL BEST PLAYER

Sundowns’ Colombian striker Brayan Leon would surely have taken the Golden Boot award had he arrived earlier than last season’s January transfer window.

The 25-year-old Colombian had some horror misses in the first leg of the African Champions League final but 15 goals in 16 starts was a phenomenal return for his first months in the country and he is expected to only get better.

Sundowns have bought some South American duds in recent years so this so this appears to have been another recruitment success.

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The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will finally be played from 26 July to 16 August when a record 16 teams converge in Morocco for continental glory and a place at the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

The tournament was originally scheduled for March and April this year, but was postponed by the hosts in the wake of the men’s tournament which concluded in January and appeared to drain the nation’s energy for another continental finals.

There had been talk that South Africa was ready to step in and take over hosting duties earlier in the year, but that would have meant Morocco’s disqualification and, as such, no place at next year’s World Cup.

So instead, Morocco and the Confederation of African Football reached a compromise that allowed them to retain hosting rights wile shifting the tournament to later in the year, despite the fact that many teams were already in camp and had chosen their squads.

Morocco’s financial muscle, and the fact that it routinely assists other African nations with venues for matches when they cannot play at home, as well as CAF with hosting events no one else wants, gives them plenty of boardroom clout.

It is a case of better late than never, and the fact the tournament will now be played in the summer months is a bonus.

Anyone who endured the winter men’s AFCON will attest to how unpleasant conditions can be.

THE GROUPS

A record 16 teams will take part in the finals, with the draw long completed and the groups set. The teams have been placed into four pools of four, with the top two in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Morocco headline Group A as the host nation and are joined by bitter rivals Algeria, Senegal and Kenya.

The game against Senegal will no doubt have some added spice. Kenya are inexperienced at this level, having appeared only once before in 2016, when they lost all three games, conceding 10 goals in the process.

Banyana Banyana have, on the face of it, a kind draw with Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Tanzania in Group B.

Ivory Coast are making their third WAFCON appearance, but their first since 2014, when they finished with the bronze medal, dashing South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

Burkina Faso debuted in 2022 and managed a single point from their three games, going out in the pool stages.

Tanzania have appeared twice before, in 2010 and the 2024 edition, managing a draw and two defeats on each occasion.

Defending champions Nigeria are in the ‘Group of Death’ along with Zambia, Egypt and Malawi. Nigeria will still fancy their chances of advancing with their star quality, but who will join them from Group C is open to question.

Zambia’s greater experience, having played at the last two Olympic Games and the 2023 Women’s World Cup, suggests it will be them, especially with star forward Barbra Banda in their side.

Egypt might not have the explosiveness of other teams in the pool but are workmanlike and organised, while Malawi may be on debut but have shown great improvement in recent years and have the deadly Chawinga sisters, who play at the highest level abroad. Group D is tough to call, with Ghana, who beat Banyana to finish third in the previous edition, up against Cameroon, Mali and Cape Verde.

You would think Ghana are overwhelming favourites to win the pool, and they should do so, but none of their opponents will be easy.

Cameroon are three-time runners-up but, surprisingly, did not qualify for the 2024 edition, the first time they had missed out.

Mali reached the quarter-finals in the 2024 edition, with their best finish being fourth in 2018. Cape Verde are on debut and will be something of an unknown quantity for the other teams in the pool.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

The four semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, which is a major carrot for the teams.

But it is not the end of the road for the losing quarter-finalists. They will play an additional play-off round at this competition to determine two teams that will advance to the intercontinental preliminary stage.

Those play-offs will be staged in February 2027 and feature 10 teams drawn from all six of FIFA’s confederations, with one each from Oceania and Europe.

The intercontinental qualifiers are played in a knockout format with semi-finals and a final, and three teams advance to the World Cup finals.

The post WAFCON: Road To Brazil appeared first on SportsClub.

GROUP A
Teams: Mexico (15), South Africa (60), South Korea (22), Czech Republic (43)
(April World Ranking in brackets.)
Bafana Bafana must navigate a tricky but not insurmountable group if they are to reach the knockout rounds for the first time.

With the eight best third-placed sides advancing from the 12 groups, one win could well be enough for any team, and Bafana may well be targeting their final game against South Korea for that.

That is not to say the Asian side are not very good – they are – but they have also been out of form of late and may be vulnerable.

Mexico in the opener at the Azteca Stadium will be tough, but there is no reason why South Africa cannot get at least a point against a good but limited Czech Republic side.

GROUP B
Teams: Canada (30), Bosnia & Herzegovina (71), Qatar (56), Switzerland (19)
Canada are probably the weakest of the co-hosts at the finals, but they should still get out of their group, as they do not lose many at home.

The efficient Swiss are favourites to finish top of the pool, while Bosnia & Herzegovina will still be basking in the glory of ousting Italy in the intercontinental play-offs.

Qatar are not expected to make much of an impression, but they might prove spoilers somewhere along the line in the group.

Expect Canada and Switzerland to finish in the top two, with the Bosnians perhaps taking third place and also advancing.

GROUP C
Teams: Brazil (7), Morocco (8), Haiti (83), Scotland (40)
There are two stand-out teams in the race for the top two places in this pool, with Brazil and Morocco both ranked in the top eight in the world. No other group has two teams from the top 10, let alone the top eight, so this is something of an anomaly.

Haiti are the second-lowest-ranked side in the competition and are expected to be cannon fodder, while Scotland could spring a surprise but do not have the weaponry to match the top teams.

Their goal will be not to lose too heavily to the big guns and to hope for a big win over Haiti to boost their chances of finishing third with a decent goal difference.

GROUP D
Teams: USA (16), Paraguay (38), Australia (27), Turkey (24)
This is a tough group to call in many ways, with all four teams ranked between 16 and 38, meaning there is not all that much between them.

You get the feeling that in this pool anyone can beat anyone else on their day, so there may not be a clear winner.

It is not helped by the fact that the United States, the top-ranked team with home advantage, have not been in great form in the build-up to the finals.

Australia are probably not quite as good as their position in the FIFA rankings suggests, and Paraguay may be a bit better. It will be highly contested.

GROUP E
Teams: Germany (10), Curaçao (81), Ivory Coast (35), Ecuador (23)
Germany will be delighted with this draw. They face debutants and minnows Curaçao, and will feel they have the beating of both Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

The decisive game in the race for second place will be the fixture between those two, which is their first match in the pool on 15 June.

Curaçao, with all of their Dutch influence, will be a curiosity, but are unlikely to have the quality to trouble the other members of the pool.

GROUP F
Teams: Netherlands (6), Japan (18), Sweden (41), Tunisia (44)
This is another close group and, while the Netherlands are ranked sixth in the world, they have a habit of dropping points when you do not expect them to. All three of the other teams in this pool are capable of taking points off them.

Sweden were, in many ways, surprise qualifiers, having finished bottom of their preliminary group but been gifted a path into the intercontinental play-offs by winning their Nations League pool. There they beat Poland.

Japan are a very structured and organised side, while Tunisia can be equally tough to beat. This is one of the more difficult pools to call.

GROUP G
Teams: Belgium (9), Egypt (29), Iran (21), New Zealand (85)
New Zealand are the lowest-ranked side at the World Cup and are unlikely to feature much, though this will be a great platform for the likes of Orlando Pirates’ Andre de Jong.

Belgium will be desperate to make up for their 2022 failure, while Egypt and Iran have a gritty feel to them, with a few good individuals. Mo Salah will likely be playing in his final World Cup for the Pharaohs.

How Iran handle being in the United States after the political tensions between those two countries in 2026, and before that, remains to be seen. Belgium and Egypt should finish in the top two.

GROUP H
Teams: Spain (3), Cape Verde (67), Saudi Arabia (61), Uruguay (17)
Spain will believe they can repeat their 2010 success with a young team packed with promise, though they are probably not yet the finished article. That said, they are the current European champions.

Uruguay are always difficult opponents and technically very good, and then there is a big drop-off to the next two teams, both of whom are ranked lower than Bafana Bafana.

Saudi Arabia have had a difficult build-up, while Cape Verde are on debut and this will be a huge step up for a side that did not even qualify for the last 24-team Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

GROUP I
Teams: France (2), Iraq (58), Senegal (14), Norway (31)
France will want to make up for their final defeat four years ago and should get out of this group with ease, though their meeting with Senegal is a reminder of the 2002 opener when the African side stunned the then champions.

Norway have Erling Haaland, and that makes them dangerous regardless of who they are playing, while Iraq will appear at the finals for the first time since their debut in 1986 but could struggle to make an impression.

GROUP J
Teams: Argentina (4), Algeria (28), Austria (25), Jordan (64)
Champions Argentina will hope to give Lionel Messi a World Cup swansong – surely he cannot play another? – to remember as they seek to defend their title.

Algeria and Austria are probably quite closely matched, as the world rankings suggest, and then there is a drop-off to Jordan, who are on debut.

The key clash for second place will be between the “A-teams” – Algeria and Austria.

GROUP K
Teams: Portugal (5), DR Congo (47), Uzbekistan (48), Colombia (13)
Portugal and Colombia will be red-hot favourites in this pool, with the Congolese and Uzbekistan looking to do more than just make up the numbers.

Uzbekistan are one of those teams who have benefited from the expanded World Cup; they would have had very little chance of qualifying otherwise.

DR Congo have come close before and appeared in 1974 under the name Zaire.

GROUP L
Teams: England (4), Croatia (11), Ghana (72), Panama (34)
This is a tough pool in which England and Croatia look like the favourites for the top two places, but, as Bafana Bafana know all too well, Ghana and Panama are no easy opponents.

England are hoping to end their tortuous 60-year wait for the title, while Croatia were losing finalists in 2018.

They should have too much technical quality for the Ghanaians and Panama, but you never know…

The post World Cup Guide appeared first on SportsClub.

Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou is convinced there are unmistakable signs of growth in Relebohile Mofokeng’s game, the kind that points to a player steadily climbing toward his full potential.

Having worked with the attacker for several months, Ouaddou has developed a clear blueprint for how to sharpen one of South Africa’s brightest talents.

His method is neither indulgent nor cautious. It is demanding.

“The only way to see him improve is to put him under pressure,” the Moroccan tactician said when asked whether there was still another level Mofokeng could reach, particularly with the World Cup on the horizon.

“With this kind of player, you need to create situations in training where he is under pressure. This is the only way to develop him,” Ouaddou explained.

“Because that is what you do with a player of his quality. He has a very low centre of gravity and needs to get used to making quick decisions.”

For Ouaddou, pressure is not punishment, it is preparation. Mofokeng’s slight frame makes him elusive in tight spaces, but modern football demands more than flair. It requires speed of thought.

By compressing space in training sessions and forcing rapid decision-making, the coach believes he is conditioning the 21-year-old for the unforgiving tempo of elite competition.

The timing could not be more significant. Earlier this season, Mofokeng appeared to be wobbling.

A dip in form, compounded by minor surgery to address a lingering injury, saw him briefly fall out of rhythm and his struggles did not go unnoticed.

Hugo Broos publicly challenged the young attacker to raise his standards or risk missing out on the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco at the time.

A stern warning but one that seemed to ignite a response. Mofokeng regained momentum at just the right moment, doing enough to convince the Bafana mentor he remained integral to the national setup.

And when he returned from continental duty, he did so with renewed authority.

With the World Cup looming, the forward has picked up where he left off, named Player of the Month for January and February after delivering a string of influential performances, scoring, assisting and dictating play as Pirates pushed to stay in contention in the Betway Premiership title race.

What has also caught the eye is Ouaddou’s tactical tweak.

Under former coach José Riveiro, who handed Mofokeng his debut in January 2023, the youngster operated primarily from wide areas.

Ouaddou, however, has increasingly deployed him in a more central No.10 role.

“He is a clever player,” the coach said.

“Rele can play two or three positions in modern football and cannot only be used on the side. I believe he is very efficient when he plays as a 10 because he has 360 degrees of possibilities to play. But when we put him on the side he has only 160 degrees of possibility because there is the touchline.”

It is a simple but revealing assessment.

In central spaces, Mofokeng is liberated, free to turn, combine and slip passes in any direction while geometry limits him on the flanks.

The positional shift has added layers to his game meaning he is no longer just a dribbler isolating full-backs, he has become a conductor between the lines, knitting phases together and drifting into pockets where defenders hesitate to follow.

Yet Ouaddou is mindful of balance. “But we have to manage the team and we have to manage the players as well,” he cautioned.

“There are impact players on the bench, so sometimes you make combinations.”

The message is clear: Mofokeng may be central to the project, but he is not the entire project. Pirates cannot afford to overload a youngster with excessive responsibility, particularly with a demanding domestic and international calendar ahead.

There is also the risk of overcomplicating his role.

“We have moved him around sometimes and when you do that, a player can get a little bit unsettled because it is too many times,” Ouaddou admitted.

“Maybe we have to think and stabilise him in at least one position during the game, even though I allow him to move around when he plays with Oswin Appollis.”

Mobility remains one of Mofokeng’s strongest assets.

He can drift wide, drop deep or dart behind the defensive line.

That unpredictability makes him difficult to mark, and invaluable in high-stakes matches.

It also explains why he has quickly become one of the poster figures of Bafana’s World Cup campaign, where South Africa will face co-hosts Mexico, South Korea and the winner of the European play-off.

The global stage will bring exactly the kind of pressure Ouaddou believes is necessary for growth.

The post Relebohile Mofokeng: New Mission appeared first on SportsClub.

South Africa’s first priority at the World Cup will be to get past the first round, but it will not be easy.

Their Group A opponents look a formidable trio.

Bafana’s opening outing is against co-hosts Mexico in the opening match at the iconic Azteca Stadium on 11 June, followed by the Czech Republic in Atlanta on 18 June and then South Korea in Monterrey on 24 June.

The top two teams in the group advance to the next round, but there is also progress for the eight best third-placed finishers to make the Round of 32.

MEXICO

Mexico will have high hopes of riding the home wave as far as they can at the World Cup.

They are perennial competitors with 17 past tournament appearances, behind only Brazil, who have featured in all 22 World Cups, followed by Germany with 20, and Italy and Argentina with 18 each.

In seven of their last eight World Cup appearances, Mexico have made it out of the group stage and into the Round of 16, but then gone no further.

The one exception was the last World Cup four years ago in Qatar, where they went out at the first hurdle, finishing behind Poland on goal difference.

That was a major blow for the Mexicans and has only increased the pressure on them to perform, adding to the expectation of the home fans.

They have two of their three group games at the Azteca Stadium and the other in Guadalajara, and if they top the group and then reach the quarter-finals, they are guaranteed two more games in the capital.

Mexico became the first country to host three editions of the World Cup with their staging of the 1986 finals, when they reached the quarter-finals, matching their remarkable run as hosts in 1970.

The team is captained by Edson Álvarez, a defensive midfielder for Fenerbahçe on loan from West Ham United. This will be his third World Cup.

The attack is led by Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez. The 34-year-old veteran is best known for his thrilling bicycle kick against Panama in World Cup qualifying that helped Mexico book their ticket to the 2014 World Cup. Jiménez also helped Mexico win Olympic gold at the 2012 Summer Games.

Diego Laine is nicknamed “The Mexican Messi”, while Santiago Giménez is a rising star at AC Milan.

The side is coached by Javier Aguirre, who returned to the Mexico dugout in July last year.

This is his third stint as national team coach, having first led his country at the 2002 World Cup and again at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where they also met Bafana Bafana in the opening match.

“We’re all focused on the end goal, which is for Mexico to have our best-ever World Cup,” he says.

CZECH REPUBLIC

The Czechs were among the last qualifiers, eventually booking their ticket in the March play-offs by triumphing in two successive penalty shoot-outs to secure a World Cup berth for the first time since Germany 2006.

They qualified after a dramatic shoot-out victory over Denmark, having first overcome the Republic of Ireland on penalties in their semi-final.

Czech Republic were forced onto the UEFA playoff pathway after finishing second behind Croatia in Group L of the preliminary qualifying competition, with 74-year-old Miroslav Koubek named as their new coach in December.

It was a tumultuous campaign that saw issues with supporters, Tomáš Souček stripped of the captaincy, win bonuses withheld, and a change of coach.

Former goalkeeper Koubek replaced Ivan Hašek, who was fired in October after a humiliating 2–1 loss to the Faroe Islands in qualifying.

Koubek called his appointment a “huge honour” and the biggest challenge of his career. The team talisman, Soucek, endured a turbulent qualifying campaign.

He was stripped of the captaincy for allegedly “ignoring” supporters following the 6-0 win over Gibraltar.

The team bonus was also withheld as collective punishment.

He remains a dominant figure in the middle of the park whose late surging runs into the penalty area will have to be closely tracked.

Goalkeeper Matej Kovár was the play-off penalty shoot-out hero and played every game in the qualifying campaign.

He joined Manchester United as a 17-year-old, but a place on the bench for a Europa League tie under Ole Gunnar Solskjær was the closest he came to a senior appearance.

In January, he moved to Dutch champions PSV on a permanent basis after a successful loan spell.

The Czechs’ last World Cup outing saw them exit at the group stage, with a 3-0 victory over the USA the highlight, alongside defeats at the hands of Ghana and Italy.

SOUTH KOREA

Two defeats in the last international window in March saw the Koreans drop three places to No.25 in the FIFA rankings, suffering the biggest drop among the top 30 nations after losing 4–0 to Ivory Coast and by a lone goal to Austria.

Their failure to score has sparked a crisis of confidence, especially in star player Son Heung-min, who is suffering a dip in form.

The long-time captain has struggled in the opening weeks of Major League Soccer action for Los Angeles FC and did not make much of an impact on international duty either.

If Son does not turn things around, whether he should even start for South Korea at the World Cup will become a valid, if uncomfortable, question for head coach Hong Myung-bo.

In Qatar four years ago, the Koreans advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time in 12 years, but their campaign ended in defeat to Brazil.

Despite two coaching changes after the 2022 World Cup, South Korea advanced comfortably through the Asian qualifiers, remaining unbeaten throughout.

In the second round, they were drawn into a group with China, Thailand and Singapore, winning every match bar a single 1-1 draw with Thailand.

In the final round, Korea faced Jordan, Iraq, Oman, Palestine and Kuwait in Group B.

With six wins and four draws, they topped the group to seal their place at the finals, becoming the only team in Asia to qualify without a single defeat.

Korea’s finest hour came on home soil at the 2002 World Cup, where the team reached the semi-finals.

After securing a thrilling 2–0 victory over Poland in their opening match in front of their home fans, they drew 1-1 with the USA and beat Portugal 1-0 to advance to the Round of 16.

There, Ahn Jung-hwan missed a first-half penalty but redeemed himself with a golden-goal winner against Italy in extra time, sealing a 2–1 comeback victory.

Korea Republic then eliminated Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals before falling 1–0 to Germany in the semi-finals

The post Bafana’s Big Task appeared first on SportsClub.

While his quality has never been in doubt, Kaizer Chiefs’ decision to sign Lebo Maboe inevitably raised eyebrows, largely because of his troubling injury history.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United midfielder arrived in Naturena as a free agent, but it would take nearly three months before he could make his official debut in the famous gold and black.

For a club desperate to accelerate its rebuild, patience was not a luxury Chiefs could always afford. Yet with Maboe, they believed the gamble was justified.

That belief was not shared lightly.

Both Sundowns and SuperSport, the two Tshwane giants Maboe previously represented, had explored the possibility of keeping him on their books.

His talent, after all, is proven at the highest level of the local game.

However, his tendency to spend long spells on the sidelines ultimately worked against him, forcing those clubs to make difficult decisions. Chiefs, though, saw opportunity where others saw risk.

When co-coach Cedric Kaze speaks about Maboe’s role since finally being integrated into the squad, it becomes clearer why AmaKhosi felt compelled to take that chance.

“He has an unbelievable football IQ,” Kaze explains.

“He can play any position, as a six, an eight, a 10, or even higher. If you want, he can play as a winger because he knows how to find those little spaces between people.”

“He understands where the spaces are and he is accurate in front of the box because he knows he has a very good shot, and the correct shot too.”

That intelligence, coupled with an elite work ethic, is a recurring theme among coaches who have worked with Maboe over the years.

Eric Tinkler, Pitso Mosimane, Rulani Mokwena, Manqoba Mngqithi and Gavin Hunt have all, at various points, spoken glowingly about his professionalism and commitment.

For Chiefs’ sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr, securing Maboe’s signature on a free transfer increasingly looks like a masterstroke, particularly in a squad still balancing youth and experience.

What was crucial after his arrival was ensuring Maboe could influence the team beyond just matchday contributions.

Chiefs’ return to continental football, via the Confederation Cup, marked their first appearance on the African stage in five years.

In that context, Maboe’s experience at Sundowns, where continental campaigns were routine rather than rare, became invaluable.

Maboe has played interclub football at the highest level on the continent.

Now, as a seasoned professional, he brings that know-how into a Chiefs dressing room still learning how to navigate Africa’s unique demands.

“And that’s what he’s very good at, being a team player and an extremely hard worker,” Kaze adds.

“It’s a very good thing to have him, especially because of his experience. In the Confederation Cup, he offers advice. He’s been there before. The conversations he has with the young players play a crucial role in our journey, because many of them haven’t played at this level.”

For Maboe himself, joining Chiefs carried weight well beyond footballing ambition.

In his first-ever interview since signing for the club, the 31-year-old spoke openly about the significance of returning “home” and what wearing the Chiefs jersey represents.

“It’s such an honour and a privilege for me to be back home and representing the team,” Maboe said.

“Kaizer Chiefs is a very big brand. Playing for a big team, there are always very high expectations, not just from a player’s point of view, but from the supporters as well.”

That sense of responsibility has shaped his mindset since arriving at Naturena. Maboe understands that Chiefs are not merely seeking stability but are chasing restoration. “As players, we also want to bring ourselves,” he continued.

“We want to leave the jersey in a better place than the state we found it in.” Despite his delayed debut, Maboe insists the environment within the squad has made his transition smoother. “The mood in the team is very positive,” he said.

“Everyone is positive. I’m fitting in very well with the team. I’m a people person, which makes it easy to get along with my teammates, and they’ve welcomed me very warmly.”

Fitness, however, remained the final hurdle. Missing more than two months of training, and a significant chunk of pre-season, tested both his patience and resilience.

“It’s not just going to come instantly, but I should be ready soon. You can imagine not being able to train with the team for over two months and missing a huge part of pre-season, it’s a big thing,” the player said at the time.

Now fully integrated, Chiefs are beginning to reap the benefits of that persistence. Maboe may not be the headline signing that ignites instant excitement, but his value lies in nuance, intelligence between the lines, leadership in the dressing room, and experience when it matters most.

The post Lebohang Maboe: Back Home appeared first on SportsClub.

When Rulani Mokwena, then Mamelodi Sundowns coach, described one of his signings as a “ceiling raiser”, it became one of those phrases that stuck.

He was referring to striker Abubeker Nasir, a player expected to elevate the club’s level with pace, goals and fierce competition for Peter Shalulile.

Fast forward a few seasons, and Mokwena’s successor Miguel Cardoso could easily borrow that same phrase when talking about his latest midfield recruits: Miguel Reisinho and Nuno Santos.

The Portuguese pair were signed just before the September transfer deadline, in a window where Sundowns scrambled to reinforce after the shock departure of Lucas Ribeiro, the reigning Footballer of the Year.

His move left a gaping creative void and the team’s sluggish start to the 2025/26 campaign made that clear.

Cardoso admitted as much. Sundowns had lacked rhythm and invention, struggling to adapt to life without their talisman. Enter the “ceiling raisers”.

In identifying solutions, sporting director Flemming Berg worked closely with Cardoso, tapping into his European scouting network.

Together, they unearthed two midfielders ready for a fresh challenge and, crucially, capable of slotting into the club’s expansive playing philosophy.

It did not come cheap. Nuno Santos cost a reported R20 million from Vitória Guimarães in Portugal’s topflight, one of Sundowns’ most significant recent investments. Reisinho, by contrast, arrived as a free agent, having left Boavista.

But while their price tags differed, so too did their integration.

“They are in two different positions because, unfortunately, Miguel lost the opportunity to play more consistently through the fact that he got a red card in the first match he entered,” Cardoso explained, referring to Reisinho’s sending off just seven minutes into his debut, a Carling Knockout fixture against Marumo Gallants that Sundowns went on to lose on penalties.

“That took him out for several matches, which delayed his affirmation in the team. But inside the group, everyone understood from day one that he’s a player who will contribute to our development,” the coach added.

Cardoso’s faith in Reisinho is unwavering. “He’s a quality player, at the level of Mamelodi Sundowns, and he’s completely accepted,” he said.

If Reisinho’s start has been unfortunate, Santos’ arrival has been anything but. The 26-year-old, who previously played for Benfica and had a stint in Major League Soccer, hit the ground running.

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Mamelodi Sundowns cantered to an eighth Betway Premiership title in a row in the 2024/25 season, but even as the curtain fell on that campaign, there were signs that their veil of invincibility was being lifted.

An African Champions League final defeat to Egyptian side Pyramids, when Sundowns were heavy favourites to lift the trophy, was a deep psychological blow to the club, perhaps only softened by the thought of their appearance in the Club World Cup directly afterwards.

Coach Miguel Cardoso survived that setback, as well as defeats in the MTN8 to Orlando Pirates and in the Carling Knockout against lowly Marumo Gallants this campaign, perhaps successfully arguing they are a club in transition.

After 10 games in the Betway Premiership, Sundowns had 21 points, not a bad haul, but their lowest at that stage of the campaign in six seasons.

It all paints the picture of a club once so dominant and seemingly untouchable that has begun to show frailties.

Cardoso can also point to the loss of Brazilian striker Lucas Ribeiro, who effectively walked out of the club after tearing up his contract when he was not allowed a big-money move to Qatar.

It was almost unheard of in the game but appears, for now, to be legally justified, though that will likely be tested in the courts.

Whatever the outcome, to lose a player who contributed 21 goals and 14 assists in the last campaign is a massive blow on the pitch.

To lose him for nothing is devastating off it. Playmaker Nuno Santos arrived for R20 million from Vitória Guimarães in Portugal, while his compatriot Miguel Reisinho came on a free transfer from Boavista.

Both look like good additions. Bafana Bafana left-back Fawaaz Basadien was brought in from Stellenbosch, and winger Tsiki Ntsabeleng arrived on loan from FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.

That was it for the new arrivals at the club, as Cardoso also looks to trim the size of his squad, unhappy at having too many players not active in the first team, a situation that can create discord behind the scenes.

Sixteen players left the club at the start of this season, either permanently or on loan, and while many were on the fringes of selection, bar Ribeiro, that is still a high turnover of players.

“It is intentional to reduce the numbers, and we will do it together,” Cardoso told reporters.

“It is not only my opinion on how to reduce the squad; it is our opinion. How we are going to do it and which number you are going to see has to do with different aspects.

“In South Africa, the squad will never be the same squad that you will have in Europe. In Portugal, it is usually 22 players and four goalkeepers, then you have the second team where you can pick the squad if you want.

“The squads here are bigger, and that is the reality that I understand from competing in South Africa. The team will be smaller than last time, for sure. But we will not be as small as teams in Portugal.

“We need to have enough level of competition in case we have an injury or a player who is not so strong, or to manage players, we have to have numbers. At the same time, we cannot have players who are permanently not used.”

“This drops their motivation, and that is the spirit we don’t want in the club. We want our players to feel like they have a chance to play regularly.”

How quickly Cardoso can adjust his players to the way he wants to play, and whether a smaller squad will cope with the demands of a long season that is, in many ways, compacted by the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, remains to be seen.

But he is certainly expecting a much bigger fight in the league this season than they have had in previous years.

“I remember I predicted at the PSL launch event [in August] that this championship would have a different story,” Cardoso said. He has also repeatedly rebuffed criticism that he is a defensive coach and has taken the old ‘Shoeshine & Piano’ attacking flair out of the team.

“Despite people saying, ‘You coach, you are defensive’, that’s bulls**t. It’s not true. We always want to bring that energy to win the match.”

“For Sundowns, it seems like it is never enough. If we defeat a team by scoring five goals, it is because the opposition is weak, so it really is never enough.”

“We are held to a higher standard, but that’s a good thing.”

Cardoso has also leaned on young players this season, with six aged 21 or younger used in the league campaign by the start of November.

Players such as 18-year-old Siyabonga Mabena, 19-year-old Kutlwano Letlhaku, and 21-year-old Malibongwe Khoza have been used regularly, and not just there to make up the numbers.

Opposing coaches also see the depth in the squad and what Cardoso is trying to do, such as Sekhukhune United tactician Eric Tinkler, one of the more experienced mentors in the PSL.

“Even when they go through a rough patch, that rough patch is not a rough patch,” Tinkler said.

“To say that they’re going through a bad spell, I find that difficult to believe.”

“They’ve got a lot of quality, and I still think they are favourites to win the league because of the depth that they have in their squad. My job as a coach is to close that gap.

“That’s the objective, and I said at the beginning of the season that we can close that gap, and ensure that we start collecting more points to make life a little bit more difficult for Sundowns.”

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The Junior Springboks won the 2025 World Rugby U-20 Championship in Italy to end a 13-year wait for the title.

Since then, most of the players have gone on to represent their respective unions in the Currie Cup, while an especially talented trio – Bathobele Hlekani, Haashim Pead and Cheswill Jooste – have trained with the senior Springbok side, as coach Rassie Erasmus looks to the future.

“We were very pleased with the way they slotted into the training sessions and used the time to interact with the Springbok players and learn from them, even though we made it clear that there was no pressure on them to grasp all our structures and systems,” Erasmus said.

“They all have bright futures, and we hope the experience they gained and the lessons learned will set them in good standing, as they look to further develop their careers and strive to reach this level in the coming years.”

Some of the Junior Boks will be unleashed in the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup tournaments over the next few months, and it would not come as a surprise to see one or two pushing for a place in Erasmus’ squad ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

“My hope for these players now that they stay in the fight,” said South African U-20 coach Kevin Foote.

“They all have dreams to play for the Springboks, but the reality is that there will be a lot of players who never get the opportunity. They must just keep believing in what they have done. If they do that, there will be plenty of names you’ll see in the future.” SportsClub shines a light on the most promising players in the group.

BATHOBELE HLEKANI

Hlekani made his debut for Sharks in the URC and Champions Cup last season, and was subsequently included in the Junior Bok squad ahead of the 2025 World Rugby U-20 Championship. The powerfully built utility forward – who covers lock and blindside flank – made a series of significant contributions at the gainline over the course of that global tournament in Italy, as the Junior Boks stormed to their first title since 2012. Since then, Hlekani has been in high demand, with the Sharks and Lions vying for his services. While he is unlikely to represent the Boks in 2026, he may well be elevated when Pieter-Steph du Toit and other ageing stars hang up their boots.

CHESWILL JOOSTE

Jooste was part of an impressive Noordheuwel side that surprised many of South Africa’s top schools during the 2024 season. It did not take long for the elusive winger to catch the eye of Foote and the national selectors, and earn a call-up to the Junior Boks. Still only 19, Jooste is eligible for the upcoming campaign, and could add value to a Junior Bok side looking to win the U-20 Rugby Championship and defend their global title when they travel to Georgia in June. But after making his Currie Cup debut for the Bulls this past August, and impressing franchise coach Johan Ackermann enough to earn a place in the URC squad, the teenager may miss the junior tournaments altogether. Whisper it, but South African rugby may have unearthed the next Cheslin Kolbe.

RILEY NORTON

Few players receive the opportunity to play for their country, and even fewer get the chance to represent their nation in two different codes. Norton is clearly a rare breed of athlete, having featured for South Africa at the U-19 Cricket World Cup before going on to captain the Junior Boks at the recent U-20 Championship. Like Jooste, Norton is still only 19, and may only realise his full potential in the coming years. Only last year, he led Paul Roos to an unbeaten season – which is no mean feat considering the strength of other leading rugby schools like Grey College, Paarl Gymnasium and Paarl Boys High, among others. More recently, he was backed to represent Western Province in the Currie Cup, alternating between lock and blindside f lank. Norton’s work-rate and vision has set him apart, and has allowed him to make the step up to professional rugby a lot sooner than some of his peers. With franchise coach John Dobson looking to develop the younger generation, Norton should receive a fair amount of game time for the Stormers across the respective competitions.

HAASHIM PEAD

After scoring six tries and racking up four try-assists for the Junior Boks at the recent competition in Italy, the lightning-fast No.9 was named the U-20 Player of the Tournament. Pead also broke the record set by Antoine Dupont for the most metres made by a scrumhalf at the competition – and since then, comparisons between the Cape Town native and the French maestro have continued to be made. Despite coming through the Western Province ranks, Pead is contracted to the Lions, and looks set to make an impact for the Johannesburg-based side in the years to come. While the Boks are well stocked at scrumhalf, Pead may move up the pecking order if he continues to trouble defences with his exceptional pace from the base as well as his impeccable support running.

VUSI MOYO

The South African pack received most of the plaudits at the recent U-20 Championship tournament, and for good reason. That said, Moyo’s superb game management and accurate goal-kicking steered the team through some tight contests – and there is something to read into the fact that he finished the competition with a table-topping 63 points. The flyhalf was blooded by the Sharks in the recent Currie Cup tournament, and looks set to learn his craft alongside the likes of Jordan Hendrikse and Siya Masuku at the Durban franchise over the next few seasons.

OLIVER REID

The Junior Bok forwards dominated their New Zealand counterparts in the recent U-20 Championship final, and as a result, most of those front-rankers have been fast-tracked by their respective unions in the Currie Cup. Reid is a highly rated scrummager and ball-carrier, and appears to be a good fit for a Stormers side that are focusing on their set piece and attack in the URC and Champions Cup.

JACO WILLIAMS

Despite his modest size – 1.75m and 73kg – Williams has made a big impact for club and country over the past 12 months or so. Sharks coach John Plumtree unleashed Williams in last season’s URC, and it was not long before he was snapped up the Junior Boks. The explosive winger was among the top try-scorers at the U-20 Championship, dotting down four times. Williams has gone on to represent the Sharks in the Currie Cup, and will continue to grow in stature when he plays alongside Bok regulars such as Makazole Mapimpi, Aphelele Fassi and Lukhanyo Am in the URC and Champions Cup.

The post Junior Boks: Talent To Burn appeared first on SportsClub.

Kaizer Chiefs signing Ranga Chivaviro has been wearing the No.7 jersey, which has been worn by several top stars down the years but is something of a cursed number too.

It is not the first time in the striker’s career he has taken seven, having worn it at lowly second-tier TS Sporting in the past.

But who are the others to have worn the number at Kaizer Chiefs in the last 20 years?

KAIZER MOTAUNG JNR

The boss’ son and current sporting director of the club, Motaung Jnr wore the No.7 with mixed results, perhaps being given a little more leeway than most players when things were not going well. He was in the team for 11 years scoring 34 goals in 80 starts, which sounds decent but there were many substitute appearances in that time. If you break it down over the campaigns that is a little over three goals per season. Not great for a striker. He retired after the 2013/14 season.

KATLEGO MPHELA

Mphela initially wore the No.37 at Chiefs following his move from Mamelodi Sundowns in 2013/14, but when Motaung retired, the Bafana Bafana striker took over the No.7. He would wear it for just one season though before leaving Naturena. It is fair to say things did not work out for him at the club, he scored six goals in eight starts (and 21 appearances in all) over 18 months. Perhaps the move just came a bit late in his career, even though he was in his 20s.

WILLIAM TWALA

Twala was originally No.29 at Chiefs but switched to seven for two seasons when Mphela left. He was also a player used mostly off the bench in his time at the club, scoring three goals in 19 starts (and 50 appearances) before he departed for Maritzburg United in the 2017/18 season.

RYAN MOON

Young striker Moon was No.29 when he came through the ranks at Naturena but took the No.7 after Twala departed. He also only wore the number for a single season before he moved on to Stellenbosch FC. He scored six goals in 17 starts (and 43 appearances) for Chiefs and is now at Lamontville Golden Arrows after a spell at Varberg in Sweden.

LAZAROUS KAMBOLE

Zambian Kambole was a disaster at Chiefs in his three seasons after joining from ZESCO United in 2019. He arrived with some fanfare but netted only two goals in 21 starts (and 46 appearances). He left at the end of 2021/22 and moved to Young Africans and later returned to ZESCO in Zambia.

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