The 2025/26 South African top-flight will kick off in the next couple of days with the usual MTN8 before the Premier Soccer League.
Currently, the teams are working hard to shape up and ensure they have the best possible squad to help them achieve their targets. Some players are also in the market, hoping to be signed by teams aligned with their goals.
Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates are once again seen as the main candidates for the PSL crown. However, Kaizer Chiefs are expected to offer a stiffer challenge after missing out on the top eight for the last two seasons.
As usual, Stellenbosch and Sekhukhune United, and maybe Polokwane City, will not be an easy nut to crack. Have a look at how the PSL's top three might be at the end of the campaign, according to former Chiefs attacker Junior Khanye. He doesn't see the Glamour Boys making the top positions.
‘Orlando Pirates will finish second'
“Three for me is going to be Sekhukhune because of the type of players they have signed and a hard-working coach who is also talented. I think the way he is coaching is the way he was playing. I also thought of Stellenbosch, but they have been stripped of players. I think they have lost players and haven’t been able to replace them, and it happens every year,” he said as quoted by iDiski Times.
“The best number two in the country for the past two, three years, Orlando Pirates will finish second. They have got talented players, they have got good scouts, I was also impressed with their pre-season, but who are they going to be competing against? It’s going to be the same thing that happened almost like last season.
“They’ll do well in the first round and decline in the second round because of their inexperience. Yes, they have signed a star in Sipho Mbule, but they need depth even on the bench. I’m also not sure if the new coach will play the players according to their strengths. Number one is obvious: one of the best teams on the continent, Mamelodi Sundowns. How they played at the Club World Cup against high-profile teams speaks volumes.
“They have set a standard, and [Lucas] Ribeiro is staying, and [Iqraam] Rayners too, who has proven me wrong. One of their strengths is that how they defend is how they attack, and they simply will win the league,” Khanye concluded.
