Winners & Losers – PSL & CAF Weekend

Club football returned this weekend, with PSL teams active in both domestic and continental competition. There were important home wins for AmaZulu, Magesi and Marumo Gallants in the league, while Orbit College registered their first away win of the season on Friday night. The difficult CAF away schedule proved to be a mountain for PSL teams with three of the four teams failing to score, and only Sundowns getting a win away from home. Winners & Losers is a statistical review of the weekend action.

Winners

AmaZulu

A perfect response to the Cup exit just before the international break, and an important characteristic for Arthur Zwane to see in his team – how they recover from setbacks. Most pleasing for Zwane will be the growing certainty that comes with how his team is difficult to beat at home.

1 – AmaZulu have lost just one of their last 12 home league games (W9 D2 L1) since the start of February.

Orbit College

Taking their place in the winners list for the first time in a while, Orbit College kicked off the weekend schedule with an impressive away win at Richards Bay. In a rare weekend filled with home wins all around, and a league where away wins are a rarity, this was an impressive result.

2 – Orbit are just the second team to win a game away to Richards Bay this year, after Marumo Gallants. (Richards Bay at home: P14 W8 D4 L2)

Monnapule Saleng

The most talked about transfer story in the last year ended with Monnapule Saleng at newly promoted Orbit College. After a rocky start to life there, he will be relieved to have broken his goalscoring duck.

1 – This is Saleng’s first competitive goal in more than one year (since 5 October 2024).

Magesi’s home form

Magesi have lost just one home game since the start of February, playing thirteen times, winning seven and drawing the other four. It’s a home record many teams in the league would envy. The key to that run has been consistency in front of goal.

1 – Magesi have played 15 home games since January, and failed to score just once (Only Sundowns prevented them from scoring at home).

Miguel Cardoso

Sundowns’ away results have been mixed this season coming into this game – Draw, Draw, Win, Draw, Win, Draw, Loss. Two wins in seven away games had left Miguel Cardoso’s position and reputation in question among sections of the fanbase. Maybe just the result that their stop-start season needed.

1 – Miguel Cardoso is the first coach in PSL history to win a CAF away game in Nigeria.

Losers

Orlando Pirates

What a way to come down. Pirates were playing in the DRC for the 3rd time, and they’ve never won there. They drew with TP Mazembe in 2002 and lost to the same side in 2013, and have now been thumped by St Eloi Lupopo. They can still come back in the second leg, but it will be an upill task.

0 – No team in PSL history has overturned a 3+ first leg deficit to progress in a two-legged tie.

Chippa United

After 10 games last season, Chippa United were 4th on the league table. Fast forward a season later, and they are rooted at the bottom of the table with just one win in 10. There are many places to lay blame, but their way form over the last eight months should be of embarrassment to those involved.

12 – Chippa have failed to win any of their last 12 away games (P12 W0 D4 L8 all comps), since beating Cape Town City in February.