Kaizer Chiefs target Betway Premiership title as Soccer Laduma examines Amakhosi revival

Kaizer Chiefs’ hopes of ending an 11-year wait for the league title lead the 1,489th edition of Soccer Laduma, which will be available at outlets on Thursday, 27 August 2026.

The publication examines whether Amakhosi can take advantage of difficulties affecting current leading sides Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates as they attempt to reclaim the Betway Premiership crown.

Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs have made a strong start under new coach Fernando Da Cruz and are operating in a settled environment at Naturena, with a deep squad available to the Frenchman.

That stability is contrasted with the challenges facing Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates. Both clubs are dealing with off-field disruption, injury problems, fatigue, the introduction of young players and a range of other uncertainties.

Orlando Pirates recently ended a 14-year wait for a league title, while Chiefs have not lifted the crown for 11 years. Soccer Laduma considers whether the contrasting circumstances could give the Glamour Boys an opportunity to challenge for the Betway Premiership and potentially regain the championship.

Orlando Pirates

Patrick Maswanganyi’s absence from Orlando Pirates’ MTN8 semi-final first-leg meeting with Sekhukhune United last weekend has prompted concern and speculation.

Reports that the midfielder had left for Bahrain soon followed, raising questions over how Pirates will replace the player known as ‘Tito’. Maswanganyi joined the Soweto club in the 2023/24 season and had occupied the Number 10 role.

Should the Buccaneers fail to identify a suitable replacement, they could still turn to the transfer market before the window closes on 21 September. The club has time to open talks with a target if it decides that recruitment is the preferred solution.

The latest edition investigates what Maswanganyi’s departure could mean for Orlando Pirates and how the club may respond.

Siya Special

A project intended to represent a major advance for South African football has developed into an increasingly tense dispute between the government and the South African Football Association (SAFA).

More than two years after Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie first set out plans to introduce video assistant referees (VAR) to domestic football, the technology is still not being used in the Betway Premiership.

At the centre of the disagreement is R13m in government funding. SAFA has confirmed that VAR will not be ready for the 2026/27 season, while training for its introduction has not begun.

McKenzie has demanded the money be returned, requested explanations from SAFA and indicated that FIFA could become involved. Soccer Laduma’s Siya crew examines the missed deadlines, the handling of the funds and the institutional breakdown surrounding the project.

The feature also considers where the plan went wrong, whether the minister can still fulfil his promise and how close South African football is to using VAR in competitive matches.

Siyanda Hlangabeza interview

AmaZulu FC midfielder Siyanda Hlangabeza speaks to Soccer Laduma about the team’s impressive victory over Siwelele FC and his loan spell at Durban City.

The midfielder reflects on his time in both the Motsepe Foundation Championship and the Betway Premiership. He also discusses how coach Arthur Zwane helped establish a sense of brotherhood within the squad, as well as Athini Maqokolo’s successful debut campaign.

Hlangabeza talks about competition for places, receiving the club’s Best Midfielder accolade and the growing presence of KwaZulu-Natal teams in the Betway Premiership. He also outlines his ambition to represent leading clubs overseas.

International feature

Arsenal begin the 2026/27 Premier League campaign as defending champions, but face strong competition from a group of clubs determined to reclaim English football’s biggest prize.

The season is expected to produce one of the most fiercely contested title races in recent memory. Managerial changes at the Etihad and Stamford Bridge, together with the post-Salah era at Anfield, are among the major storylines examined by Soccer Laduma.

The publication profiles the six clubs regarded as the leading contenders for Premier League glory.

Elsewhere in issue 1,489, former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Alex Bapela provides his assessment of the first legs in the MTN8 semi-finals in the Revolving Column.

The Siyagobhoza section covers Sibisi entering the final year of his Orlando Pirates contract, Saleng’s options and the conditions Mamelodi Sundowns have set for a possible Letlhaku departure.

Soccer Laduma’s latest edition can be bought from outlets on Thursday, 27 August.