Mamelodi Sundowns Open Lead On Orlando Pirates in Betway Premiership After Beating Marumo Gallants
- Mamelodi Sundowns are now the leaders in the Betway Premiership as they defeated Marumo Gallants to move past Orlando Pirates
- The Betway Premiership defending champions proved to be too strong for Abdeslam Ouaddou's former team as they secured all three points
- South African international Teboho Mokoena impressed as the Pretoria giants open lead on top of the league table
Mamelodi Sundowns have moved on top of the Betway Premiership table after defeating Marumo Gallants 3-1 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Source: Twitter
A brace from Bafana Bafana midfielder Teboho Mokoena and an own goal gave Miguel Cardoso's side the deserved win over Marumo Gallants as they open a lead on top of the league standings.
The Brazilians headed into the match with a win against Stade Malien in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-final on Friday, March 13, 2026.
Sundowns go top of Betway Premiership table
Cardoso once again rotated his Mamelodi Sundowns side, bringing Keanu Cupido, Fawaaz Basadien, Kegan Johannes, Marcelo Allende and Reisinho back into the starting line-up as they look forward to their second leg in the CAF Champions. However, Brayan Leon, who has been on form since joining Masandawana in January, and Arthur Sales retained their spots after impressing against Stade Malien.
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Sundowns started brightly and looked threatening in the opening stages of the match, with Johannes and Tahsreeq Matthews both coming close to breaking the deadlock through headers within the first 15 minutes.
Marumo Gallants, who have struggled defensively this season, opted for a cautious approach by sitting deep and absorbing pressure. They relied on counter-attacks led by Ndabayithethwa Ndlondlo and Marou, but they failed to seriously test Ronwen Williams.
Sundowns found the breakthrough in the 30th minute when Gallants defender Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya unfortunately turned Marcelo Allende’s free-kick into his own net under pressure from Cupido.
Despite being second best for much of the opening 45 minutes, the visitors found a way back into the contest eight minutes before the break. Santos was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area, and Ndlondlo confidently converted the resulting penalty, sending Williams the wrong way.
Following a 1-1 stalemate at the break, the Brazilians raised their intensity in the second half, with Arubi called into action several times. However, in the 61st minute, Cardoso’s side found the breakthrough again as the goal came from a swift counterattack initiated by Mokoena, who regained possession, sparked the move, and then finished it himself by slotting a low shot beyond the Gallants' goalie after being set up by Sales.
Five minutes later, Gallants had a chance to restore parity, but Ndlondlo squandered the opportunity. After latching onto a well-timed pass behind the Sundowns' backline, he found himself one-on-one with Williams but failed to beat the South African goalkeeper.
In stoppage time, Mokoena sealed the victory with his second goal of the match, finishing off a slick passing move on the edge of the box.
Source: Twitter
The win secured Sundowns another three points, marking their eighth consecutive league wins and lifting them to the top of the PSL standings with 50 points, two ahead of Pirates, who slipped to second place, with both teams having played 21 matches.
What's next for Mamelodi Sundowns?
Mamelodi Sundowns' next focus is their CAF Champions League quarter-final second leg tie against Stade Malien in Bamako, Mali, on Friday, March 20, 2026.
The Premier Socceer League giants are heading into the match with a three-goal advantage and need to avoid a heavy defeat away in Mali for them to secure the ticket to the semi-finals.
In the Betway Premiership, the Brazilians will face Durban City in their next match as they hope to continue their winning run in the league.
Cardoso warns Sundowns players
Briefly News also reported that Cardoso issued a stern warning to his Mamelodi Sundowns players after their resounding victory over Stade Malien.
The former Rio Ave head coach outlined the reason the Brazilians need to be focused on their next two matches.
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Source: Briefly News
