Orlando Pirates off the mark, Mamelodi Sundowns ease past Magesi | OneFootball

Pirates claim first win, Sundowns brush aside Magesi

Photo: Nchavo Shabangu

Orlando Pirates have claimed their long-awaited first win of the 2025/26 Betway Premiership campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over hoodoo team Stellenbosch FC at Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The Buccaneers suffered back-to-back defeats to Sekhukhune United and Marumo Gallants in their opening two matches of the league campaign, but newly signed Kamogelo Sebelebele scored a stunner to hand Abdeslam Ouaddou his maiden maximum points as Pirates coach.

Pirates moved up to 11th-place on the log standings, while the Cape Winelands outfit dropped down to 14th-place after failing to register a win in their first three league outings for the fist time in two seasons.

Steve Barker’s men opened their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to rejuvenated Kaizer Chiefs in the mother city, before settling for a share of the spoils with Magesi FC in their second league match in the Limpopo province.

Meanwhile, defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns made it back-to-back wins with a victory over Magesi at Seshego Stadium, courtesy of goals from midfielder Jayden Adams and prolific forward Peter Shalulile.

Not only did the Namibian round up the scoring, but he tied Siyabonga Nomvethe’s long-standing record of 129 goals scored in the PSL, despite his future hanging in the balance, with Tunisian giants Esperance de Tunis said to be keen on his services.

For Miguel Cardoso and his charges, the win saw them ascend to third place on the log standings as they look to return to a familiar territory at the summit of the table. Masandawana trail log leaders Sekhukhune and second-placed Chiefs with two points, having accumulated seven points from three games.

In the other Betway Premiership of the night, AmaZulu beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 to move up to sixth place, with the two teams level on six points as they both won two of their opening league matches of the new season.