The 2026/27 Betway Premiership fixture list is a disgrace—a manufactured competitive imbalance that hands Mamelodi Sundowns a free pass into a commanding early lead while forcing Kaizer Chiefs to fight for survival from the opening whistle. By scheduling Sundowns’ first five matches against a procession of mid-table and relegation-threatened sides, and pitting Chiefs against Sundowns and Sekhukhune United within their opening three games, the Betway Premiership has not simply created a tough schedule; it has designed a league start where the title race is decided before September’s leaves fall.
Look at the evidence. Sundowns open against a bloated Polokwane City side that leaked three goals in their last preseason friendly, followed by a Cape Town Spurs team that has not beaten a top-half opponent in twelve months under manager Shaun Bartlett. Their third match is against a Richards Bay outfit that lost its defensive anchor, Taariq Fielies, to injury last week. Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs begin with a trip to Sekhukhune United—a side that finished fourth last term and pressed Nassim Sadiki into a defensive wreck in the MTN8. Then, before they can catch their breath, they host Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won five consecutive league encounters at FNB Stadium. The fixture list does not offer luck; it offers a gauntlet. Chiefs’ third match? A derby against SuperSport United. By the time Sundowns face their first real test—likely Orlando Pirates in week six—Chiefs will already be chasing a points gap that could exceed seven.
The implication is damning. Football’s integrity rests on the principle that every team starts with equal opportunity to earn maximum points. Here, Sundowns’ soft opening allows Rulani Mokwena to rotate his squad, rest Lucas Ribeiro, and blood youngsters like Malibongwe Khoza without risking dropped points. The same flexibility is denied to Chiefs’ Nasreddine Nabi, who must deploy his best XI—including Yusuf Maart and Ashley Du Preez—in every early fixture, risking burnout before the season even matures. This is not a conspiracy of fixture congestion; it is a structural advantage gifted to the league’s richest club. The Betway Premiership will point to random computer draws, but randomness does not produce a schedule where the defending champions face zero top-four sides in their first month.
Here is the bold verdict: By mid-October, Sundowns will be eight points clear at the top, and the title race will be effectively over—not because they are the best team, but because they were given the easiest path. Kaizer Chiefs will have already dropped points in two of their first three matches, and the narrative will shift to a desperate chase rather than a genuine challenge. The Betway Premiership has handed Sundowns the trophy before a ball was kicked. They should be ashamed.