Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates seal CAF Champions League spots as final-day drama looms across PSL

Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates’ abilities to make hay while the sun shone mean they are the only two teams to have secured coveted spots ahead of the season finale.

Sundowns were duly crowned Betway Premiership champions on Sunday night after beating Magesi 2–0 in their final game of the league season. The Brazilians had clinched their record-extending eighth consecutive title after their penultimate game, toppling several records along the way.

It was another gallant and impressive campaign for Sundowns, with only Pirates managing to keep pace in the title race. However, the Sea Robbers’ pursuit fell short, and they ultimately laboured to a second-place finish on the log for the third successive season under José Riveiro, who has since departed the club.

The Buccaneers secured the runners-up position with five games to spare, as the rest of the teams failed to match their points tally.

The race for third place, which grants entry into the CAF Confederation Cup — unlike the top two spots, which lead to the Champions League — remains undecided. Stellenbosch currently occupy the prized position with 47 points, just one ahead of Sekhukhune United, ahead of their final fixtures against Cape Town City and Golden Arrows respectively.

On paper, both Stellies and Sekhukhune are favourites, as City and Arrows are embroiled in the relegation scrap with only one point separating them. The Citizens sit 15th on the log with 26 points, one behind Abafana Bes’thende, who have two games in hand.

Should City fail to beat Stellies, they will find themselves in the promotion/relegation play-offs — a fall from grace for a club of their stature. Club chairman John Comitis is already incensed by the PSL’s delay in resolving the ‘abandoned’ match between Arrows and SuperSport United.

SuperSport failed to produce a backup generator at Lucas Masterpieces Moripe Stadium after load shedding disrupted the match before the second half. Although load shedding was an act of force majeure, SuperSport, as hosts, were expected to have a generator in place.

Their failure to do so could see them sanctioned by the PSL, and the fixture potentially awarded to Arrows as a 3–0 walkover. While such an outcome would not severely impact SuperSport, they remain confident of claiming at least three points from their final two games against Pirates and Richards Bay.

Meanwhile, at least three MTN8 qualification spots remain up for grabs, with teams outside the top eight still hoping for a late push. Kaizer Chiefs, Marumo Gallants, Richards Bay, Magesi, and Arrows all have a mathematical chance, as eighth-placed Chippa United have completed their campaign with 31 points.

These five teams must win their respective matches and hope other results go their way. Chiefs, in particular, are under immense pressure to secure a Top 8 finish given the size of the club and the potential implications for coach Nasreddine Nabi and his technical team.

Nabi ended the club’s 10-year trophy drought two weeks ago by defeating Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final, but even that achievement might not be enough to secure his position.

The Tunisia-born coach cannot afford to falter, and his team must defeat Polokwane City at home in their final league match to have any chance of qualifying for the MTN8.