The South African top flight returns this weekend, with the new Betway Premiership season promising to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory.
Across the board, the league’s top clubs face demanding starts as they vie for early-season dominance.
Read: Grobler and Makgalwa Partnership a Threat to Orlando Pirates
Defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns will begin their title defense against Chippa United, a team they have consistently beaten. While the match is a chance for Sundowns to set an early tone, other clubs face more immediate challenges.
AmaZulu has a particularly daunting August ahead, having undergone a major squad overhaul that saw several key players depart. The team is in a rebuild phase and must quickly find cohesion to avoid early losses.
Kaizer Chiefs will open their season on Sunday against Stellenbosch FC. While Chiefs have a strong record against them since the 2021/22 season, the rest of their August schedule is a tough test, with four of their first five matches against top-eight finishers from last season.
Speaking on Hit the Target, powered by Hollywoodbets, football expert Marc Strydom commented on Chiefs’ ongoing rebuilding phase under coach Nasreddine Nabi.
“We all know they’re still going through a rebuilding phase with Nabi at the helm,” he said. “Fortunately for him, they did deliver a trophy last season, so building off that success and growing in confidence, hopefully, that can bring the glory days back to Naturena.”
Fellow analyst Siphesihle Soni also weighed in on the Chiefs vs. Stellenbosch clash, noting that Stellenbosch coach Steve Barker would be eager to change the narrative.
“I’m sure Steve Barker is also tired of losing to Kaizer Chiefs and would like to, you know, change that,” Soni said, pointing to Stellenbosch’s strong MTN8 performance against AmaZulu as a sign of their intent.
Orlando Pirates have already shown their ambition with a commanding 2-0 victory over Polokwane City in the MTN8 quarterfinal. Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has made it clear that winning the tournament is a major goal. However, their league campaign starts with a significant test, as they face three teams that defeated them last season.
Adding to the excitement, newly promoted sides Orbit College FC, Siwelele FC, and Durban City are all eager to make an impression from the get-go. With title defenses, fresh rivalries, and redemption arcs on the horizon, the 2025/26 Betway Premiership is set to deliver fireworks from the very first whistle.
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