Reviewed by Shihaam IsaacsSouth Africa sports betting writer
Published 28 August 2026
Mamelodi Sundowns beat AmaZulu 5 to 2 at Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday, ending the visitors’ unbeaten start to the season and moving level on points with Orlando Pirates at the top of the Betway Premiership.
Brayan León scored twice. Teboho Mokoena, Tashreeq Matthews and Bennet Mokoena added the others. Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya scored both AmaZulu goals, the second of them after the break, which kept the scoreline closer than the run of play deserved.
A note on the detail, because it matters if you are following the season closely. The match reports do not agree on the minutes any of the seven goals were scored in, so AXN Sports has not published them. The result, the scorers and the order of the goals are carried consistently.
Mokoena back in the side
Teboho Mokoena returned from injury and scored, which is the part of the night Sundowns will take furthest. He had been out, and the midfield had looked ordinary without him in a way that a squad of this depth is not supposed to allow.
The win also answered a bad week. Sundowns had lost the first leg of their MTN8 tie against Golden Arrows before this, and a heavy home league win is the cheapest way to stop that becoming a conversation about the coach.
What it does to the table
AmaZulu arrived in Pretoria with an unbeaten record and left without one. That was the more meaningful casualty of the evening: they had been the surprise of the opening weeks, and conceding five in a single away fixture resets the expectation around them.
Sundowns are now level on points with Orlando Pirates at the top, which is roughly where the pre season assumption had them, only later than usual. AXN Sports will follow the second leg of the MTN8 tie and the September league programme.
Where to bet: Betway Premiership fixtures carry the deepest South African market of the week, and a Sundowns home game is priced with the full menu rather than the short list you get on a midweek cup tie. Hollywoodbets and Betway, both licensed through provincial gambling boards, price match result, both teams to score, total goals and correct score in rand, with deposits by Ozow instant EFT, Capitec Pay and OTT Voucher. Totals on Sundowns at Loftus drift after a result like this one, so compare the line at two books before you take it. Our guide to the best betting sites in South Africa covers licensing and payout times, and there is more in South Africa soccer news. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
