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Soccer Laduma
Downs push the envelope
Mamelodi Sundowns continue to set the bar higher as they find themselves participating in their second FIFA Club World Cup, after dominating the domestic football space for almost a decade and finishing as runners-up in the CAF Champions League a few weeks ago.
5 min |
June 19, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I want to give credit to SAFA
Congratulations to Mamelodi Sundowns on their impressive 1-0 FIFA Club World Cup victory over Ulsan HD FC. What a brilliant start to the tournament! I wouldn't mind watching Sundowns games wearing their shirt, walking down the street in their shirt or even going to church wearing a suit with a Sundowns shirt. These guys are representing my country and I'm proud of them. They may be an opposition in domestic football, but to me, they are not an opponent, and they mean a lot. So, I wish them the best of luck for the remainder of the Club World Cup. To coach Miguel Cardoso, Steve Komphela and the entire technical team, I wish you guys all the best together with the rest of the team.
6 min |
June 19, 2025
Soccer Laduma
In Touch With...
MARUMO GALLANTS’ SEKELA SITHOLE
1 min |
June 19, 2025
Soccer Laduma
That's where they belong
In the week leading up to the start of the FIFA Club World Cup, Mamelodi Sundowns were growing their brand in New York, thanks to their former stars Hlompho Kekana, Tiyani Mabunda and Teko Modise. Club’s technical sponsor, Puma, together with Kid Super, designed Sundowns kits that were launched at an event in New York, along with the jerseys of Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Palmeiras, RB Salzburg, Monterrey and Al Hilal. While they were there, the Sundowns legends also got to play in a mini four-a-side tournament, and they were quite popular with players from other teams wanting to know more about them. Soccer Laduma’s Tshepang Mailwane travelled to the Big Apple with Puma to speak to Kekana about the Club World Cup.
7 min |
June 19, 2025
Soccer Laduma
In Touch With...
BLACK LEOPARDS' CYRIL CHIBWE (PART 4)
3 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Bvuma catching strays!
Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper, Bruce Bvuma, was on the receiving end of harsh criticism from football supporters this past season. Most of those who were not impressed by the 30-year-old goalminder stopped short of blaming him for the terrible defensive record of the Naturena-based club. But while it is easy for everyone to point a finger at a goalkeeper, there were more problems in the Amakhosi team than just the goalkeeping department.
5 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
SuperSport surviving... for now?
What will become of SuperSport United? That's probably one of the biggest questions on the minds of local football supporters, with talks yet again of Matsatsantsa being up for sale. The club has been struggling behind the scenes, and it could be that it is holding on for dear life, unless there is a big turnaround in its situation. Soccer Laduma looks into what's causing the strain at the club and why SuperSport would consider selling in the future. For now, it seems, the club's management is trying to keep SuperSport alive.
4 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
The cultural reboot at Chelsea
With the 2022 takeover of Chelsea came a change in their recruitment policy.
6 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
It's not just about money
In the unpredictable world of professional football, careers can stall in an instant, sometimes through injury, sometimes through circumstances entirely out of a player's control.
7 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I thought it was a curse
Motebang Sera's career suffered a huge setback this past season while on the verge of a milestone of earning a century of appearances for Royal AM, who were expelled from the PSL following the long-standing financial issues that brought the league into disrepute and disrupted fixtures.
8 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
This man changed my life!
Some people will think they are burying you, not knowing that they are planting a seed! This man changed my life! At one point, I was buried but people didn’t know they were planting a seed.
1 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I think it's going to be tricky
On the PSL promotion/ relegation Play-Offs
5 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Still InTouch With...
CAVANN SIBEKO (PART 1)
4 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I was pushing the wheelbarrow
From pushing wheelbarrows to pushing for a starting spot in the PSL, Sekhukhune United defender Sikhosonke Langa’s rise to the top is a story of persistence, faith and unexpected detours. Langa’s journey saw him drop out of football temporarily, take up construction work, and bounce around lower league clubs before finally making his Betway Premiership debut at 29. Despite the late start, the soft-spoken defender has already made his mark at Sekhukhune, playing a key role in their impressive fourth-place finish. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Delmain Faver, Langa opens up about his journey, the decisions that shaped his career, overcoming setbacks, and the hunger that still burns as he eyes the next chapter.
5 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Chivaviro didn't get enough opportunities
It’s unfortunate that Ranga Chivaviro didn’t get enough opportunities to play.
1 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Where to next for Tau?
Percy Tau's next move could well define the twilight of a career that once lit up South African football like few before it. Now 31 and a free agent following his departure from Qatar SC, the Lion of Judah stands at a crossroads. There's intrigue, speculation and more than a hint of nostalgia as the nation waits to see where one of its most gifted footballers will land next. Tau's brief spell in Qatar came to an underwhelming end after just six months. Joining Mehdi Nafti's struggling Qatar SC side in January 2025, the Bafana Bafana star was expected to reignite his form in a league known for its attacking flair and high-profile signings.
2 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
We had our own fortress
Betway Premiership rookies Magesi FC kicked off the season by storming into the Carling Knockout final before defeating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1. After the historic win, the wheels started coming off as the team lost four matches in a row. Coach Owen da Gama replaced Clinton Larsen and helped the team finish in 13th position on the table. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Masebe Qina, Da Gama reflects
4 min |
June 12, 2025
Soccer Laduma
It feels like a dream
Last month, South Africans waited at OR Tambo International Airport in anticipation of the national U20 team's arrival from Egypt, where they won the Africa Cup of Nations.
2 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Chiefs' philosophy was based on dribbling
In this interview with Soccer Laduma's Thomas Kwenaite, the legendary Zimbabwean reveals a fascinating secret that many would probably find unbelievable. He reveals that he used to play for Amakhosi on Saturday and then drive overnight to Zimbabwe to play for Saints on Sunday. He also explains why they called Kaizer Motaung “Chincha-Guluva.”
5 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I fell in love with SA people
Having recently parted ways with Saudi Arabian side Al-Faisaly FC, Spanish coach Pablo Franco Martin has been linked with several teams, including Soweto giants Orlando Pirates. Martin ended his relationship with the Saudi First Division League side after helping them survive relegation and is now considering opportunities across various continents. In an interview with Soccer Laduma's Clifton Mabasa, the Madrid-born tactician reflected on his time in the Gulf region as well as his previous stint in South Africa, where he spent at least 14 months at the helm of Betway Premiership side AmaZulu FC. Among other issues, the former Getafe coach also revealed that a move to the Buccaneers had once been on the cards but ultimately fell through despite initial interest from the club.
5 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
I'm not a fireman
Toroccan-born Abdeslam Ouaddou has left his role as Marumo Gallants coach after saving the team from relegation and nearly helping them qualify for the MTN8. After hauling Gallants out of the relegation quagmire in only four months and guiding the team to safety, it was announced that Ouaddou was stepping down. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Thomas Kwenaite, the former FC Nancy and Fulham defender expresses his admiration for the Betway Premiership, the roles of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, as well as the importance of the Diski Challenge. Ouaddou further explains why he did not renew his contract with Bahlabane Ba Ntwa.
8 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Berg's future under spotlight
In June 2022, Mamelodi Sundowns made one of their boldest backroom acquisitions yet by appointing Danish football mind Flemming Berg as the club's new Sporting Director.
2 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Pirates would have been unstoppable
LL: Exactly. I always talk about playing seven years without a trophy, then things changed. I even became captain.
1 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Still InTouch With...
Hi Rufus, welcome to the third and final part of our Still in Touch edition. You started your story by telling us about your former SuperSport United teammate Japie Motale and talked about the time you were detained at an airport in Turkey. What can you tell us this week?
4 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
They couldn't hold back the tears
I must admit, it really hurt to see Mamelodi Sundowns lose like that against Egyptian side, Pyramids FC in the CAF Champions League final on Sunday night.
1 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
North African teams are scared of Mshishi
North African teams are scared of Mshishi - all of them: Al Ahly, Zamalek, Wydad Casablanca. They are all scared of him. He’s a big star in North Africa because they know, once he gets onto the field, everything will change: two or three players will be on Mshishi and that frees up Iqraam Rayners and Lucas Ribeiro Costa. But unfortunately, Cardoso saw things differently. Then came the second leg and you saw how Pyramids play.
1 min |
June 05, 2025
Soccer Laduma
This is what fulfills you
These are exciting times for South African football, and coaches at youth level have a big role to play to ensure that the talent being produced is of high quality, so that the national teams can keep doing well. With the success of the national U20 team at the Africa Cup of Nations, there's good reason to believe that there's more to come and coaches such as David Notoane can help inspire growth because of the experience he has at international and DStv Diski Challenge level. The Mamelodi Sundowns Diski Challenge coach spoke to Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane about the recent success of Amajita, as the U20s are affectionately known, and what it will take to sustain the success of South African football right now.
6 min |
May 29, 2025
Soccer Laduma
In Touch With...
BLACK LEOPARDS' CYRIL CHIBWE (PART 2)
3 min |
May 29, 2025
Soccer Laduma
Dr Jordaan Mastermind, maverick or man under siege?
Dr Danny Jordaan's tenure as president of the South African Football Association (SAFA) has been a story of highs and lows – marked by significant achievements but also beset by controversy.
6 min |
May 29, 2025
Soccer Laduma
It's something for the heart
Last Wednesday in Bryanston, Johannesburg, Rudy Project - a leading Italian brand in high-performance eyewear and sporting gear - officially welcomed Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Thabo Cele and Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa as its newest Ambassadors. The announcement event provided a unique opportunity for Soccer Laduma to sit down with Cele, courtesy of Rudy Project, for an exclusive interview. In this frank interview with Soccer Laduma's Masebe Qina, Cele opens up about his return to South African football, lifting silverware with Amakhosi, the emotional weight of ending a decade-long trophy drought, and what it means to align with a brand that reflects his values as both an athlete and a person.
7 min |