Sekhukhune United vs Mamelodi Sundowns: Preview, Head-to-Head, Quotes, Players to Watch and Where to Watch

Sekhukhune United head coach Eric Tinkler has urged his players to raise their performance levels as they prepare for a crucial Betway Premiership clash against league leaders Mamelodi Sundowns at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday, 27 January.

Babina Noko head into the encounter with confidence after holding Orlando Pirates to a draw and collecting four points against title challengers. They now face a wounded Sundowns side that was recently held to a draw in the CAF Champions League. Kick-off: 7:30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Head-to-Head (Last Five Premiership Meetings)

Matches: 5
Sekhukhune wins: 0
Sundowns wins: 5
Draws: 0

Current Form

Sekhukhune United (Babina Noko)

Sekhukhune are still searching for their first win of 2026 after a 1-0 defeat to Stellenbosch on January 20, followed by a goalless draw against Orlando Pirates four days later.

Tinkler’s men have slipped to fifth place, collecting just six points from their last five matches. They now trail Sundowns by three points, having played one game more. Once frontrunners earlier in the season, a six-match winless streak between September and November saw them lose ground to both Sundowns and Pirates.

Mamelodi Sundowns (Bafana Ba Style)

Sundowns began the new year with a 2-0 victory over Orbit College on January 19, reclaiming top spot after Pirates dropped points. Miguel Cardoso’s side will be eager to build momentum in the second half of the season after a somewhat inconsistent finish to 2025.

Masandawana have lost just once in 14 league fixtures but have drawn five, leaving them level on 29 points with Pirates and ahead only on goal difference.

What Was Said

Eric Tinkler (Sekhukhune United head coach):

“If you collect maximum points, you get to a really good position. It’s been about reiterating that message to the players and they must understand that today, for example, some of their contributions were not enough. My expectation and the club’s expectation is more than what they are giving, so that’ll be the focus over the next couple of days.”

Players to Watch

Sekhukhune United – Bradley Grobler
The veteran striker has scored six goals in 14 league appearances since joining from SuperSport United. While five of those came in a prolific four-game run, he hasn’t found the net in his last six matches. Still, Grobler remains just one goal shy of the Golden Boot leader, Junior Dion.
Mamelodi Sundowns – Arthur Sales
The 23-year-old winger has stepped up following Lucas Ribeiro’s departure, scoring decisive goals against TS Galaxy and Mswenko Boyz. He also found the net in Sundowns’ 2-2 CAF Champions League draw with Al Hilal on January 23, and Cardoso will be counting on him to maintain that form.

Where to Watch

Fans can catch the action live on SuperSport PSL (DStv) across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. The match will also be available for streaming on the DStv Stream app, ensuring supporters don’t miss a moment of this high-stakes encounter.