Five key takeaways from PSL’s dramatic weekend: Sundowns, Chiefs and Pirates in focus

Kaizer Chiefs' hollow win at Athlone over the weekend has prompted their manager Bobby 'Bobsteak' Motaung to declare that his team can still win the Premiership.

This bold statement caused an outcry on social media and some fans felt he must have been under the influence to come to that conclusion.

There was heartbreak for Orlando Pirates fans who felt their side was equipped to defeat Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus on Saturday. However, they failed to reckon with the brilliant Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro and had no answer to his brilliance and finesse. Pirates' gaffer José Riveiro does not believe the 4-1 defeat is the end of his team's title aspirations and this is one of the takeaways of the weekend's Mzansi football.

Referee Badi not flummoxed by Chiefs' fake fouls

Full marks to referee Luxolo Badi, who did not fall for Kaizer Chiefs' fake fouls or obvious attempts to deceive him during the weekend match against Stellenbosch FC at Athlone. Badi, a former PSL Referee of the Year recipient, did well to make calls against Chiefs when necessary, considering the stadium was packed with Chiefs supporters. Badi issued four yellow cards to Chiefs and two Stellenbosch in the match.

📷#DikwenaTsaMeetse 🐊#TheBlueNation#BetwayPrem pic.twitter.com/4XGFvwIFBe

— Magesi Football Club (@Magesi_FC) February 8, 2025

Well-travelled Da Gama relishing Magesi FC challenge

Showing the same enterprising spirit as his famous namesake Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, Owen is working his magic at Magesi. He says he is dealing with problems off and on the field at the Polokwane-based club. Numerous Magesi players are on the injury list and some of the players he fielded against Cape Town City over the weekend were carrying niggling injuries, but emerged 2-0 victors. His players are mostly drawn from the First Division ranks. Following the 2-0 win, the side moved off the bottom of the log for the first time since December 2024.

Back-to-back capacity crowds for PSL blockbuster clashes

For the second successive week, there have been sold-out matches and this is a massive advertisement for PSL soccer. The Soweto Derby, played last week, again confirmed its standing as one of the biggest derbies on the African continent. Visitors from elsewhere in Africa cannot speak enough of the great atmosphere at the FNB Stadium. However, there are lessons to be learnt from these matches which require attention from the PSL, as guardians of the professional game.

Last week hundreds of fake tickets were sold, and many patrons could not take up their rightful places in the stadium. Last week and again on Saturday, the pitch condition was poor. Although clubs do not own stadiums, the PSL should have a committee to oversee the pitch preparation just like they oversee the facilities at stadiums to ensure safety measures for crowd control are adequate.

4️⃣ goals of the highest-quality! We're struggling to decide which one we enjoyed the most! 😅

Help us in the comments and let us know your favourite! 💬![CDATA[]]>🤩#Sundowns #BetwayPrem #RabatsenaGape pic.twitter.com/IkJwoP0rEr

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) February 9, 2025

PSL is finally cutting Sundowns some slack

The PSL has not always been fair to Mamelodi Sundowns, who in past seasons had hectic playing schedules because of CAF and local matches. On occasions, the side was also hit by national team call-ups and players barely had recovery time before playing for the club again. As a result, Sundowns suffered some shock defeats. Things have changed and it appears the PSL will go easier on Sundowns, although some thought will be required. During this time of Nedbank Cup's last-16 round matches, the PSL fixtured Premiership match for Sundowns against TS Galaxy, and this will ease the team's load once the CAF and local cup matches resume.

Pirates tactician Riveiro – the eternal optimist

Orlando Pirates had their noses rubbed into the Loftus turf on Saturday and came away with a demoralising 4-1 thrashing. However, this did not deter Pirates coach from saying the one-sided scoreline does not accurately reflect the difference between the two teams. Riveiro's comments warrant consideration because for the first time this season in the PSL, Sundowns did not dominate possession. Two independent sources say Pirates had 61% possession. The decisive factor on the day, however, was that Pirates did not have a player like Lucas Ribeiro to make a telling impact.