Mamelodi Sundowns play their final Betway Premiership match of the 2025/26 season against TS Galaxy at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday evening, but the league title is far from settled. A win for Masandawana would see them finish on 71 points with 21 victories from 30 games, yet second-placed Orlando Pirates can still snatch the championship on goal difference if they win both of their remaining two matches against Durban City and Orbit College. Sundowns head into the clash shorthanded, with Khuliso Mudau and Jayden Adams both suspended, while Keanu Cupido remains sidelined with an injury that will keep him out until next season.
With the CAF Champions League final looming at Loftus Versfeld on Friday, head coach Miguel Cardoso is expected to rotate heavily from the side that topped Esperance in the semi-finals. The projected starting eleven features Ronwen Williams in goal, a back four of Zuko Mdutyelwa, Malibongwe Khoza, Mothobi Mvala, and Divine Lunga, a midfield trio of Gomolemo Kekana, Sphelele Mkhulise, and Katlego Ntsabeleng, with Monnapule Saleng and Kutlwano Lethlaku out wide and Iqraam Rayners leading the attack. The selection reflects a clear priority on keeping key players fresh for continental duty.
The timing of this domestic fixture has caused debate, but Cardoso dismissed any suggestion that it could have been scheduled between the two Champions League final legs, citing impossible travel demands. He pointed to Sundowns’ recent return from Tunisia after facing Esperance, where the squad could not secure a night flight and was forced to depart the following morning due to limited slots. “No, that would be absolutely impossible,” Cardoso said, explaining that even a night flight would have left only two days before the next game. The Portuguese mentor acknowledged ongoing