Latest news with #AbafanaBes'thende
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
SuperSport United survive the chop following dramatic Premiership finale against Golden Arrows
SuperSport United endured a nerve-wracking 45 minutes to secure their place in the top-flight next season, playing to a 1-1 draw in the resumption of their Premiership fixture against Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Thursday afternoon. The draw came at a crucial time, allowing Matsatsantsa a Pitori on 27 points to leapfrog Cape Town City on the same amount of points into 14th position, pushing the Cape side down to 15th due to a better goal difference. City will now wait to learn the outcome of an investigation in the NFD Motsepe Foundation Championship regarding Durban City's alleged use of an ineligible player to determine who they will face in the promotion play-offs. Abafana Bes'thende still had a mathematical chance of reaching the top eight, but it would have required scoring six goals in one half – a highly unlikely outcome, given their season average of less than a goal per game. The responsibility to guide Matsatsantsa to safety fell to interim coach Andre Arendse, who took over to complete the job left unfinished by then-head coach Gavin Hunt.
The South African
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Orlando Pirates vs Golden Arrows - Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Orlando Pirates chase another three points as they return to the Betway Premiership with a clash against Golden Arrows on Tuesday night. This second league encounter in the space of a few days between the two sides takes place at Orlando Stadium, with the Buccaneers back in familiar territory after two weeks on the road. It also marks a departure from home comforts for Abafana Bes'thende, who gear up for their first away fixture this month. Three straight matches away from home have produced mixed results for the Soweto giants. The most recent of these was a devastating defeat in the Nedbank Cup final where they lost 2-1 to rivals Kaizer Chiefs, falling short of a third consecutive title. The defeat at Moses Mabhida Stadium had been preceded by back-to-back league wins including one at the same venue against the team they are hosting on Tuesday. The six points earned in those two matches have secured a finish in the top two with another 15 up for grabs in the remainder of the season. This will require bouncing back in their backyard, where they suffered a rare slip-up in their last home outing. That narrow defeat to Sekhukhune United was only the second in 11 home games for Orlando Pirates, who have claimed victory in each of their other nine league fixtures in Soweto. They have conceded just seven goals in the process, while finding the net 23 times. For the visitors, the change of venue will be a welcome one after a lengthy stay at home failed to yield a single point in three attempts. This has placed them in unwanted territory in the standings, where they currently languish in 14th place with just four games left to play. It has been a disappointing campaign for Golden Arrows who have been a feature in the contest for a spot in the top eight in recent years, finishing ninth for three seasons running. Those heights are still mathematically possible through a remarkable turnaround, starting with three points at Orlando Stadium. That will be no mean feat, however, as their struggles have extended well beyond their home base. They boast just three wins in 11 games on the road with their last away victory dating back to early March when they stunned Polokwane City at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium. Having managed a measly two points in their last five fixtures home and away, Abafana Bes'thende now face the immense task of rescuing their season as they set their sights on a wounded Bucs side. The visitors have been bolstered by the return of midfielder Blessing Mchunu, who missed last week's encounter in Durban. The 24-year-old has served his one-match suspension and is now part of his side's options for the clash in Orlando. Orlando Pirates meanwhile could be tempted to make a few changes for the fixture following a bruising weekend assignment against their biggest rivals. They have picked up no fresh suspensions over the past week and will welcome two key players back to league action after both sat out the previous encounter between the two sides. Defender Nkosinathi Sibisi will relish against his former side after a red card ruled him out of the match held in Durban, while Thalente Mbatha makes his first Premiership appearance since the Soweto derby at FNB Stadium. Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates): The big striker provides extra height and physicality up front and will be high in confidence after getting on the scoresheet in consecutive starts. He sits on 10 goals in all competitions this season, and will be determined to increase that figure as he faces off against Arrows. Siyanda Mthanti (Golden Arrows): The young winger has been one of the shining lights in a season that has not gone his side's way. Mthanti has so far contributed to five of Arrows' goals this season – a figure which includes last Tuesday's equaliser against the Buccaneers. The midweek win over Abafana Bes'thende further cemented the Buccaneers' dominance in the fixture. It extended their winning streak to five matches, and they have the opportunity to claim a third consecutive league double should they emerge victorious in Soweto. Golden Arrows meanwhile chase a rare away win over Orlando Pirates. It's a feat they last achieved nearly 10 years ago when second-half goals from Kudakwashe Mahachi and Gladwin Shitolo secured a 2-0 upset at Orlando Stadium. While the Soweto giants have had a clear upper hand on home soil since then – posting three convincing victories, they have not always achieved the desired results with stalemates standing out as the most common outcome. A total of five out of the eight matches played in Orlando Pirates' backyard during this period have finished in a share of the spoils, with all failing to produce a goal. Kick-off is at 19:30 with the fixture televised live on SuperSport PSL. Tickets are available for sale online on OpenTickets while physical tickets can be purchased at various Shoprite, Checkers, and USave outlets nationwide. Anything other than the full three points for Orlando Pirates will hand Mamelodi Sundowns the 2024/25 Betway Premiership title tonight. Orlando Pirates 2-0 Golden Arrows Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Ighodaro's late goal clinches AmaZulu derby win over Arrows
Etiosa Ighodaro scored at the death to hand AmaZulu a 1-0 win over Durban rivals Golden Arrows and claim the city's bragging rights at the Mpumalanga Stadium yesterday. Usuthu moved into sixth place on the Premiership standings and boosted their chances of making next season's MTN8 competition, while Abafana Bes'thende remained in 11th place. With the game seemingly heading for a tightly contested draw, Nigerian-born Ighodaro emerged late to give AmaZulu a deserved lead in the 84th minute. Usuthu's top scorer scored his sixth goal of the season as he barged his way past a defender to head home a Tshepang Moremi floated cross. Another instalment of the Durban derby took the stage under perfect sunny conditions in Hammarsdale, with both teams eager to match up to the heat of the weather. And having played out to a goalless draw in the first round of this fixture, it was clear the two teams were eager to avoid a similar fate in this encounter, as the game began at a high intensity. Arrows were sporting fresh faces on the bench as their recruitment of Royal AM's players continued, with Thabo Matlaba featuring and Sabelo Sithole making his full debut, while Sphesihle Msomi sat on the bench alongside Shadrack Kobedi. AmaZulu and their coach Arthur Zwane have been going through a sticky patch at this stage of the season, having lost four and won one of their last five before this game, and this showed in their first-half struggles to create any tangible chances. Their best opportunity came in the 46th minute, with striker Etiosa Ighodaro almost finding the net with a speculative long-range strike. The Nigerian-born forward received the ball on the half turn onto his 'wrong' foot, before unleashing with the left, but Edward Maova paddled back before parrying the effort away. The hosts would've been the most disappointed of the two teams at halftime, having failed to call Richard Ofori into any kind of save in the opening 45 minutes. Therefore, it came as no surprise when the hosts made the first move as they introduced Angelo van Rooi for Sithole at halftime. That change didn't seem to affect the flow of the game as AmaZulu continued to control the tempo and looked dangerous. Arrows' first real chance came in the 65th minute off an AmaZulu passing error that saw the ball fall for second-half substitute Bongani Cele. However, the 26-year-old shied away from the responsibility and tried to lay it off for the on-rushing Siyanda Mthanti, who failed to control the ball as it rolled to the feet of Ofori. That moment seemed to switch the momentum for the hosts as another ball fell nicely for Mthanti, again this time from a lobbed cross into the far post.
