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Nothing comes easy in football
The Star
|January 19, 2026
THE wait is over.
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After weeks dominated by the Africa Cup of Nations, the Betway Premiership returns, bringing unresolved rivalries, mounting pressure, and a title race that feels finely balanced heading into the second round.Domestic football resumes at a moment when the league is delicately poised. The opening half of the season offered clues rather than conclusions, separating contenders from pretenders without fully exposing where the balance of power truly lies. Now, margins are thinner, patience is shorter, and every fixture begins to carry consequence. At the summit, Orlando Pirates have earned the right to set the tempo. Their first-round consistency has shifte
This story is from the January 19, 2026 edition of The Star.
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