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As it stands, the Brazilians are running away with the league after 19 games. They have amassed 51 points, putting themselves 15 points clear of the Buccaneers.
Without sounding negative, it’s hard to talk about a Betway Premiership title race between league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns and second-placed Orlando Pirates. In my view, this is a false title race and there’s just little to no excitement about how the league is turning out this season.
You’d have to make a very compelling argument to convince me that the title race is on when Sundowns have played four more games than Pirates. It doesn’t matter from which angle you choose to look at it, the picture just doesn’t look good. The sting has been taken out of what should have been a tightly contested league race that should always be fought on equal ground.
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I’m not here to discuss who’s to blame. Nor will I claim to know better. But I agree with the notion that the Premier Soccer League dropped the ball this season. At this stage of the campaign, most teams should at least be on the same number of games played. This also raises the issue of fair play for all parties concerned. What was supposed to be an intriguing and pulsating end to the season is now turning into a farce.
As it stands, the Brazilians are running away with the league after 19 games. They have amassed 51 points, putting themselves 15 points clear of the Buccaneers. Granted, if Pirates win all their four games in hand, they will be on 48 points, closing the gap on Masandawana to three.
There is the issue of Royal AM and their suspended games, due to owner Shauwn Mkhize’s ongoing battle with the South African Revenue Service. But the PSL should have reached a conclusion on the matter by now. AM have not played a single game in 2025. And we’re still none the wiser about how the situation will conclude. The embattled KwaZulu-Natal club have only played 11 games in total. It looks like we’re in for another guessing game on how this issue will affect both ends of the table.
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We can only imagine how exciting it would have been for neutrals and all football lovers if Sundowns and Pirates were neck and neck for league honours. The spirit of fair play has been diminished by these delays. Pirates find themselves in the compromised position of having to play catch-up with Sundowns.
The Soweto giants have the daunting and unenviable task of playing all their remaining games like cup finals. They surely stood a much better chance of going toe-to-toe with the defending champions if the league ran without any hiccups.
Sundowns have practically put one hand on the Premiership trophy, and they are racking up points without the pressure of Pirates breathing down their necks. In cricket, this would be called a free hit, and the Chloorkop-based side are making full use of their advantage.
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Sundowns are now on the home straight, and unless Pirates miraculously claim all the points on offer in their outstanding matches, Sundowns will stroll to a record-extending eighth successive championship without having to look over their shoulder in this imaginary race.
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