Johannesburg – Mamelodi Sundowns hammered Siwelele 7-4 in a historic South African Premiership match on Saturday to maintain a three-point lead over Orlando Pirates in a gripping title race.
Several hours after the 11-goal feast near Pretoria, Pirates overcame bottom club Magesi 3-0 in Polokwane.
Pretoria outfit Sundowns have one fixture remaining – away to lowly TS Galaxy on Tuesday – as they chase a record-extending ninth consecutive title.
Pirates have two matches to play – at home to mid-table Durban City on May 16 and away to relegation-threatened Orbit College on May 23 – and boast a superior goal difference.
León nets his first hat-trick and takes home the MOTM award 💪#Sundowns #BetwayPrem #AreyengMasandawana pic.twitter.com/PUJqfWBq7E
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) May 9, 2026
Should the clubs finish level on points in the 30-round championship, goal difference will be the first tie-breaker. Pirates have a plus 44 difference and Sundowns a plus 37.
Soweto-based Pirates last won the Premiership in 2012 and have been runners-up in five of the past eight seasons.
The 11 goals scored at Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe Stadium was the most in a match since the 1996 launch of the Premiership. Several previous games produced nine goals.
Colombian Brayan Leon for Sundowns and Zambian Ghampani Lungu for Siwelele scored a hat-trick each – the first time two players notched a treble in a Premiership game.
It was an unexpected result as Sundowns had not managed to score more than four goals in any of 28 previous league matches this season and not conceded more than one in a game.
7️⃣ goals. 3️⃣ points. 1️⃣ more #BetwayPrem game to go for The Brazilians!
Mamelodi Sundowns (7’ Mokoena, 9’ & 37’ Matthews, 25’ Mobbie (OG), 42’, 53’, 59’ León) 7️⃣➖4️⃣ Siwelele (30’, 50’, 80’ (P) Lungu, 65’ Mokhuoane)#Sundowns #AreyengMasandawana pic.twitter.com/YMHeytdPn2
— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) May 9, 2026
Siwelele struck three goals last August in their first Premiership match, and not more than two in any subsequent game. Before facing Sundowns, they had never conceded more than two in a match.
Tashreeq Matthews scored twice and Teboho Mokoena once for Sundowns and Siwelele defender Nyiko Mobbie conceded an own goal in a match where Sundowns built a 5-1 lead by half-time.
Relebogile Mokhuoane was the other scorer for Siwelele from Bloemfontein, who lie ninth as their first season of top-flight football nears an end.
A son of South African sports minister Gayton McKenzie owns the club after buying the franchise of SuperSport United, who quit citing the costs involved in running a Premiership club.
In Polokwane, Patrick Maswanganyi and Kamogelo Sebelebele gave Pirates a two-goal lead by half-time. Oswin Appollis converted a penalty on the hour mark to increase the advantage.
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Source: AFP
