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The South African
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
'Sundowns don't even need a coach': Ex-Chiefs and Bafana striker
Former Bafana Bafana striker Shaun Bartlett feels Mamelodi Sundowns don't necessarily need a coach in some games. Masandawana have dominated the Betway Premiership over the last decade, winning nine titles, including eight consecutive titles. Despite the coaching changes over the last five years, the Tshwane giants have maintained their consistency in the league. The former Kaizer Chiefs striker says Sundowns have a squad to win the league and their only challenge was claiming their second CAF Champions League title. 'When it comes to Sundowns, 80 percent of the time you get the league wrapped up purely because of the squad and the quality they possess, across the park, from the goalkeeper to the striker,' Bartlett said as per KickOff . 'It's more about the Champions League, will he be able to give them that Champions League which has been eluding them for the past couple of years. Last season they came close again. For Sundowns it's always about competing at a bigger stage. 'I think the Premiership they found a way to get the squad together, where they can play two, three different teams consecutively because of the quality they have,' Bartlett added. 'No disrespect to any coach but I think for the last few years, that Sundowns team is a well-oiled machine and sometimes you don't even need a coach to be on the touchline,' said the retired striker. 'For Cardoso I think the pressure will come in the CAF Champions League, that is where Sundowns want more success, if he doesn't get it this season, it's going to be difficult for them to retain him.' 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.
Daily Maverick
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Cape Town's top-flight hopes hanging by a thread as they navigate Premiership playoffs
If Cape Town City fail in the Premier Soccer League's ongoing relegation and promotion playoffs, Cape Town will have no representative in top-flight South African soccer. Cape Town has a rich history with African soccer. From producing former Premiership champions Santos, to influential teams such as Ajax Cape Town, Cape Town Spurs and Hellenic, the city has been integral in the development of South African soccer. In addition to these clubs, superstar players such as Benni McCarthy, Shaun Bartlett and Quinton Fortune were produced from the streets of Cape Town. Now all this history hangs by a thread with the city's sole representative in the South African Premiership, Cape Town City, currently in the relegation and promotion playoffs. Battle for survival City finished second from bottom in the recently concluded Premiership season. By virtue of this disappointing display, the Capetonians find themselves in the playoffs. They are alongside Casric Stars, of Mpumalanga, as well as North West's Orbit College. Orbit were Championship runners-up – behind promoted champions Durban City (formerly Maritzburg United). Casric ended the Championship season third. Hence both sides will be participating in the playoffs alongside City. In the 16-team Premiership, the team which finishes bottom of the league is automatically relegated. This season, as a result of their being expelled from the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Royal AM were the 'relegated' team for the 2024/25 season. After finishing first in the second-tier, automatically promoted Durban Stars have taken Royal's place in the top-flight. As the two worst-performing teams in the Premiership (behind the grounded Royal), City and SuperSport United were then left to fight it out for guaranteed survival. The team that finishes 15th on the Premiership table must take part in the playoffs. Change of fortunes In the end, SuperSport edged their rivals on goal difference. Both teams ended the season on 27 points after their 28 matches, but Matsatsantsa's goal difference of -12 was marginally better than City's -16. The Cape side lost a staggering 15 matches on the way to finding itself in this tight corner. To compound Cape Town's woes, Spurs were recently relegated from the second-tier of South African soccer – one season after their relegation from the Premiership. History is marginally on City's side in the quest to preserve Cape Town's pride. In the last 10 seasons, six Premiership sides have retained their status in the top-flight. Casric and Orbit will be drawing inspiration from the four Championship teams that shocked their Premiership counterparts over the last decade. 'A lot of people are heavily dependent on [City and Spurs] to earn a living. Besides that, they are teams that have contributed immensely to our football. Superstars come from those teams. But Cape Town City still have a chance to fight in the playoffs and I just wish them well,' former Bafana Bafana winger Siphiwe Tshabalala told Sowetan. Those associated with the club, including club co-owner and chairperson John Comitis, will be wondering how their fortunes changed so drastically. In the three seasons preceding the ill-fated 2024/25 campaign, City had not finished outside the top five in the Premiership. The club is also working on building its own stadium, as Comitis told Daily Maverick in 2024. Relegation would be a major blow for these plans. 'Ultimately, we [City] need to build our own stadium and our own home base. We've had a lot of support from the mayor's office in terms of trying to achieve that,' Comitis said. False start A mixed bag of results, which included four defeats in their first 10 league matches, foreshadowed City's troubles this season. The indifferent start eventually cost coach Eric Tinkler his job in December. Former Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs coach Muhsin Ertugral was recruited in January, but he was out by March after the situation worsened under him. Diogo Peral has been at helm on an interim basis since the sacking of Ertugral, and he is the man charged with saving City's status as a top-flight team. City, Casric and Orbit will play each other home and away in a mini-league format, and the team that collects the most points at the end of the playoffs will secure a spot in the 2025/26 Premiership campaign. The playoffs kicked off on 11 June, with 0-0 draw between the two second-tier teams. The competition will conclude on 28 June. DM
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
A lack of heroes on the pitch has seen Cape football lose its soul
Thulani Serero's demise is the embodiment of Cape football's fall from grace. Picture: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix There was a phrase in the 1980s that went something like this: If Maties rugby is healthy, so is Western Province rugby and subsequently, so too, the Springboks. It never quite transcended to football, but considering the last Bafana Bafana team to win AFCON back in 1996 boasted stalwarts such as Mark Williams, Shaun Bartlett, Andre Arendse and Andrew Tucker, who all hailed from the Cape, there is a discussion to be had. And it just so happens that Bafana are currently enjoying their most successful period since the heady days of '96 whilst Stellenbosch FC are fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Betway Premiership. However, Stellies' success should not mask the degeneration of professional football in the Mother City. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Cape Town Spurs' potential second successive relegation to the ABC Motsepe League – the national third division – where they will join another fallen Cape giant Santos, pending an arbitration case, is an abomination. Equally, Cape Town City's anxious wait to see whether they will be involved in the PSL promotion/relegation play-offs is another catastrophe. A major city such as Cape Town cannot afford not to have a professional club in the elite division. It is integral for the youth to have a home team they have aspirations of representing one day. And it is here where I am going to borrow some golden nuggets from my former colleague, the Cape Argus football scribe and retired professional Rodney Reiners. There are few who loved and devoted their lives to Cape football like Reiners. And his passion for it was often expressed here, as he regaled us with stories from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, particularly his affection for the original Cape Town Spurs and his beloved Santos. Shaun Bartlett Former Cape Town Spurs striker Shaun Bartlett in action. Picture: BackpagePix Image: BackpagePix
