Pirates will be especially pleased, as they have one eye on Saturday’s Carling Knockout semi-final at Richards Bay, which could have been a major distraction.
Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 TS Galaxy
Mamelodi Sundowns were made to work but came away with a 1-0 victory over TS Galaxy that keeps them three points clear at the top of the table. They created enough chances to win comfortably but took only one, as Brazilian Arthur Sales provided a good low finish from 15 yards when teed up by Bafana Bafana forward Iqraam Rayners.
It is back to winning ways at home for Sundowns after they saw their 18-game home winning run ended by a 1-1 draw with Orlando Pirates last weekend.
Sundowns should have had a late penalty too when Rayners was brought down in the box, but referee Christopher Kistoor waved play on. They now have the weekend off after being knocked out of the Carling Knockout and will next be in action after the international break when they host DR Congo side St Eloi Lupopo in the CAF Champions League.
Lamontville Golden Arrows 1-3 Orlando Pirates
Nkosikhona Ndaba scored his first goal for Pirates as they claimed a 3-1 victory at Golden Arrows to continue their dominance over the KwaZulu-Natal side. That is their seventh win in a row against Abafana Bes’thende, whose only victory in their last 18 clashes came in 2021.
Ndaba bundled the ball in from a tight angle in the first half, but Thokozani Khumalo equalised for Golden Arrows with his third goal in two games.
The home side’s joy was short-lived though, as Pirates were back in front within a minute, this time Yanela Mbuthuma netted his first league goal for the club since his move from Richards Bay, after being teed up by Patrick Maswanganyi. Mbuthuma then made sure of the points with a late third.
Pirates are now unbeaten in eight league matches (W7 D1) and, while they trail Sundowns by three points, they have two games in hand.
Stellenbosch FC 0-2 Siwelele
Things go from bad to worse in the league for Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker, who watched his side meekly slip to a 2-0 home loss to Siwelele. The Cape Windelands club are more used to being in the top three but now find themselves in the bottom two after a seventh defeat in 12 league matches this campaign.
Perhaps concentration is an issue, they conceded early in both halves, but whatever the problem is, they need to sort it out fast or risk the same fate as provincial rivals Cape Town City last season, who were convinced they would not be relegated … until they were.
Tebogo Potsane got the first goal for the visitors and South Africa Under-20 international Siviwe Magidigidi added the second.
Durban City 1-0 Marumo Gallants
Durban City returned to winning ways after three defeats on the trot as they edged Marumo Gallants 1-0 thanks to Haashim Domingo’s 79th-minute winner. Perhaps Gallants had one eye on Sunday’s Carling Knockout semi-final against Golden Arrows, but they were outplayed in a game from which they might have expected at least a point.
It is more poor away form for Gallants, they have won just once on the road this season (D3 L5), and that was on their very first trip to Richards Bay back in August.