Brayan Leon Impresses As Mamelodi Sundowns Overtake Orlando Pirates After Beating Orbit College
- Mamelodi Sundowns are back on top of the Betway Premiership standings after defeating Orbit College in their first game in the second half of the season
- The defending champions overtake Orlando Pirates on the league table, with the Sea Robbers still having two outstanding matches
- One of the Brazilians' January signings impressed with his performance on his debut in front of the club's fans at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Mamelodi Sundowns have overtaken Orlando Pirates on the Betway Premiership standings after beating Orbit College in their first match in the second half of the 2025-26 season.
Source: Twitter
The defending champions secured all three points after a 2-0 win over Monnapule Saleng's former team at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Monday, January 19, 2026.
Goals from Arthur Sales and new signing Brayan Leon gave the Brazilians the deserved win over the newly promoted side in front of their fans.
The Brazilians were without Teboho Mokoena, as the Bafana Bafana star was suspended for the game, but he's expected to be back in their CAF Champions League fixture.
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Sundowns defeat Orbit College
Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso handed Lebo Mothiba a place in the starting lineup as the lead striker, with Kegan Johannes, Sphelele Mkhulise, Jayden Adams and Kutlwano Letlhaku also featuring from the start.
In addition, 19-year-old Thato Sibiya made his senior debut after catching the eye with his performances for Amajita.
The Brazilians were dominant with the ball early on and created several early chances, with Adams rattling the frame of the goal with a volley, while Mothiba was thwarted at close range by an alert near-post stop from goalkeeper Mwenya Chibwe within the first 15 minutes.
Following a brief interruption caused by floodlight issues, Sundowns eventually turned their territorial control into a breakthrough. Arthur Sales capitalised on a defensive misunderstanding inside the Orbit penalty area, producing an athletic finish in the 24th minute to register his third league goal of the campaign.
Orbit threatened Sundowns' goal unexpectedly when Lucky Malatsi capitalised on a loose ball inside the penalty area, but the forward attempted an acrobatic overhead kick similar to Sales’ effort and sent the ball well over Ronwen Williams’ bar.
That moment turned out to be Orbit’s sole genuine threat on Masandawana's goal, with the defending champions dictating proceedings throughout the opening half. At the same time, the youthful Sibiya stood out on the left wing, impressing with his speed and composure in possession.
Cardoso altered his approach at the beginning of the second half, handing new signing León his debut by bringing him on in place of Mothiba after his recent transfer from Independiente Medellín.
Masandawana continued to dominate in the second half, controlling possession and consistently threatening in the final third. The Brazilians asserted even greater control once Themba Zwane, Nuno Santos and Marcelo Allende were introduced.
Leon marked his first appearance on the scoresheet for Sundowns, rising to meet a cross delivered by fellow debutant Sibiya.
Source: Twitter
Orbit offered moments of attacking promise, with Surprise Ralani and Ayanda Lukhele adding tempo and purpose to their forward movements, but their efforts failed to spark a comeback.
The Tshwane-based side has now collected 29 points from 14 league fixtures this season.
What's next for Sundowns?
Mamelodi Sundowns will switch focus to their double-headed matches against Al Hilal in the CAF Champions League group stage. The Brazilians would host the Sudanese side at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday, January 23, 2026.
The second leg of the fixture is scheduled to take place a week later at the Amahoro National Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
In the Betway Premiership, Masandawana would be facing a tough opponent, Sekhukhune United, in their next fixture at the Peter Mokaba on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
Bafana star leaves Sundowns for PSL rivals
Briefly News also reported that a Bafana Bafana star has left Sundowns for a move to their PSL rivals after spending over five years with the defending champions.
The South African international won several titles during his time with the Brazilians, but he's now a player for the rivals.
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Source: Briefly News
