Newspaper
Soccer Laduma
Early Ballon d'Or frontrunners
Soccer Laduma's Kamogelo Motecwane analyses the superstars who are showcasing that they are currently in the upper echelon of world football.
4 min |
December 04, 2025
Soccer Laduma
We can't afford to let them down!
Let me open this week's column by congratulating Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants on their impressive wins in the Carling Knockout semifinals against Richards Bay FC and Golden Arrows, respectively.
3 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Those boys proved many people wrong
Amajimbos lost their last group stage match 3-1 against Italy but still qualified for the Last 32 of the ongoing FIFA U17 World Cup in Qatar.
5 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Adams faces race against time
Jayden Adams' international future hangs in the balance, and the countdown has officially begun. With just one month remaining before Hugo Broos finalises his squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, the 24-year-old midfielder finds himself in a position few would have predicted two years ago. Once a rising star of Stellenbosch FC and a standout performer at the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, Adams now faces the harsh reality of reduced game time at Mamelodi Sundowns and uncertainty around his Bafana Bafana role. The player who earned his way into Broos' plans through hard work and consistency has slipped into unfamiliar territory at club level, and his national team prospects have dimmed as a result. The Siya crew has been tracking his situation closely, uncovering worrying signs behind the scenes as Adams fights to keep his AFCON dream alive.
2 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Still In Touch With...
GERT SCHALKWYK (PART 2)
4 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Where is Lorch?
Hola Soccer Laduma readers
4 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Football players are not slaves
Mzwanele Mahashe opens up about retirement and the challenges footballers face along the way.
6 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Ox's Chiefs comeback story
Sibongiseni Mthethwa was signed by Kaizer Chiefs just over two years ago.
6 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Is the 2026 World Cup Africa's time?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to be a historic one for Africa as it will be the first edition to feature at least nine African teams, including a triumphant return for Bafana Bafana for the first time since 2010.
6 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Mbokazi's game-changing opportunity
It has become public knowledge that Orlando Pirates defender and captain, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, is on the verge of making a life-changing move to America's Major League Soccer, if the weekend reports are anything to go by, with the move said to be worth in the region of R50 million.
5 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
In Touch With...
THEMBELA SIKHAKHANE - UNATTACHED (PART 2)
3 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
The team has more respect
The current season is important for a lot of players in South African football because Bafana Bafana will be participating in the FIFA World Cup next year. Who wouldn't want to be part of the squad going to the competition? That's why Terrence Mashego had to make a move away from Mamelodi Sundowns to first get regular game time at club level and, second, give himself a shot at getting back into the Bafana squad. A loan move to Durban City has opened the door to regular game time and it will no doubt build his confidence as the season progresses. In this interview with Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane, the 29-year-old left-back discusses his move to KZN, where he is working with head coach Gavin Hunt.
6 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
The EPL season for the ages?
More than a quarter of the 2025/26 English Premier League season has been completed, and there are already glimpses of what many can expect for the remainder of the campaign. The league table is starting to take shape, revealing which teams will compete for the title, who will challenge for European qualification, and which sides may be dragged into the dreaded relegation battle. Soccer Laduma's Matthew Petersen looks at the season so far and how the rest of the campaign may unfold, including a look at the teams who are expected to be in the title fight, the race for European football and the dreaded relegation battle come the end of the season.
4 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Still InTouch With...
Jabulani Maluleke will go down as one of the best players who didn't get recognition at the national team level, despite having an illustrious career and winning a league title.
4 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
They focus entirely on being Pirates
Few former players understand the Orlando Pirates way quite like Gerald Modabi.
7 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Never become complacent
Reaching 300 matches in charge of a single club is not a milestone that happens by accident in South African football. It speaks to discipline and a level of consistency that very few coaches have ever managed to sustain in a league known for volatility and constant turnover. For Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker, this journey has come with pressure that never switches off, scrutiny that grows with every result, and expectations that rise with every young talent that his club produces. Yet through all of it, he has remained steady, present, and unwavering in the values that have shaped Stellies into one of the most admired operations in the country. In Part One of this interview with Soccer Laduma's Delmain Faver, the Stellies coach reflects on the psychological battles behind the touchline, the unity that holds his dressing room together and the evolution that keeps him relevant. Coach Barker also opens up about the mechanisms, principles and perspectives that have fuelled his remarkable longevity.
4 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
The system doesn't always reward ability
Former Ajax Cape Town and Jomo Cosmos midfielder Neo Makua walked away from professional football far earlier than he ever imagined.
8 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Who is Chiefs' best striker?
Last season, Kaizer Chiefs lacked a reliable goalscorer up front.
9 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
We can now compete against the best
The domestic season is in full flight, and the Africa Cup of Nations is fast approaching, placing Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams at the centre of one of the most demanding periods of his career.
3 min |
November 13, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Orlando is a uniq
Jose Riveiro's return to South Africa has stirred warm memories among Orlando Pirates supporters and not just because of what he achieved on the pitch.
2 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
The system treats them like chappies
Lebo Ditlhake’s journey is one of rise, fall, and remarkable redemption. Once a promising young athlete who excelled across multiple sporting codes, he was forced by life into adult responsibilities far earlier than expected. After experiencing his own struggles and rebuilding himself through business, Ditlhake is now dedicating his time, resources, and heart to supporting former professional footballers who have slipped through the cracks after their playing days. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina, Ditlhake opens up about the painful realities faced by South African legends, the birth of Ditlhake Masters FC, and his mission to restore dignity, confidence, and opportunity to the men who once entertained millions.
9 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
South Africa's VAR conundrum
The Betway Premiership ranks among the best leagues on the African continent.
2 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Mbokazi faces life-changing MLS decision
Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi has been linked with overseas clubs since making his professional debut. But the latest reports linking him with a move to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire has sent shockwaves across the South African football landscape. According to the reports, the 20-year-old Orlando Pirates defender is on the verge of completing a blockbuster $3 million transfer to Major League Soccer outfit Chicago Fire, a figure that converts to roughly R51 million. It is understood that the KZN-born defender has already travelled to the United States, where final negotiations are being wrapped up. The timing could not be more intriguing, with the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations around the corner and the 2026 FIFA World Cup fast approaching.
7 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
We don't care about development structures!
This past weekend, we saw our three teams, Mamelodi Sundowns, Stellenbosch FC and Kaizer Chiefs participating in the CAF inter-club competitions while the domestic league was also back in action, following the FIFA break.
7 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
In Touch With...
JABULANI MALULEKE (PART 1)
3 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Sundowns have set the bar
This is one of the top CAF Champions League games of the week.
5 min |
November 27, 2025
Soccer Laduma
It will strengthen our league
A few weeks ago, an article by Jack Kearns set South African football circles buzzing. Kearns is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa, a FIFA-licensed agent, a scholar with an LLB from University of South Africa (UNISA) and a Master's in International Sports Law from Real Madrid’s Universidad Europea. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver, Kearns unpacks a question many fans posed after Bafana Bafana’s qualification to the FIFA World Cup and the final match against Rwanda, where an entirely local-based starting lineup took to the field: why are so few South African footballers playing abroad? His analysis touched nerves and raised uncomfortable truths about visibility, player pathways, agent politics and the comfort of the PSL ecosystem.
5 min |
November 20, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I wouldn't say it's a burden
Steve Barker's tenure as Stellenbosch FC coach is a true testament that perseverance pays. After retiring from playing football, Barker, who is the nephew of the late former Bafana Bafana coach Clive
4 min |
November 20, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Being a champion comes with pain!
We are back to local football following the International break, where we saw several national teams involved in FIFA World Cup qualifiers play-offs, while others played international friendlies. The AFCON is fast approaching, and the players will need all the time they can get to prepare. I’m sure coach Hugo Broos and his technical team will be looking to have the players earlier, with the Betway Premiership schedule running until closer to the tournament itself.
4 min |
November 20, 2025
Soccer Laduma
In Touch With...
BENNETT CHENENE - UNATTACHED
3 min |