Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says he will still stay focused on the league to continue his fight for continental glory. Photo: Sipho Siso

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Teams in the Betway Premiership have dug deep into their pockets to buy new players to bolster their squads while also reinforcing the weak departments in the hope of dismantling Mamelodi Sundowns’ decade-long stranglehold on the league.

Some of those teams include giants such as Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Sekhukhune United and a few more that have splashed out money on the market in search of talented players capable of giving them an edge in the marathon league season that lies ahead.

Pirates’ new signings have already sounded a warning for Masandawana through a scintillating performance in the MTN8 cup opener for the season in which the Buccaneers beat Polokwane City 2-0 to advance to the semis where they will face their nemesis, Mamelodi Sundowns on dates, times and venues still yet to be confirmed by the Premier Soccer League, along with its sponsors MTN.

But the Yellow Machine also stamped its authority with an emphatic 4-0 win over Richards Bay with an absence of three key players, Peter Shalulile, Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Khuliso Mudau, who are rumoured to want out for pastures green. The trio were not included in the line-up that humiliated the Bay side.

Chiefs has bolstered its squad with five or so players, one of which comes from Pirates but a second one, talented winger Monnapule Saleng, was denied the opportunity to move to Chiefs as per his first preference but was easily given over to new kids on the premiership block, Orbit College FC.

If still interested, Chiefs can still acquire Saleng through the back door by opening talks with Orbit when the next transfer window opens in January. This means they will now have to handsomely pay Orbit for the services of the winger instead of their arch-rival, Pirates who fear the speedy winger might have a score to settle with his former team.

Another team that means business this time around is Sekhukhune, which was buoyed by its sponsorship by Chinese sports apparel company, Kelme, and extra funds from the Malatjie Foundation, making the side the biggest off-season spender on new players. Sekhukhune reinforced each department of the team with four or so players, which literally amounted to assembling three squads in one team.

Sekhukhune chairperson Simon Malatjie recently warned other teams in the premiership to watch out for his team as it means business this time around. “We have been sitting in the peripheries of the league for far too long, and this time around we mean business,” Malatjie said at the renewal of their sponsorship with Kelme.

For the past four seasons, the club has been persistently in the Top 8 bracket, hoovering around third and fourth positions, and in the coming season, he promised fireworks. We are determined to make our presence felt and hence the strengthening of all the departments of the team with solid players that can deliver the goods for us,” he added.

Sekhukhune will be up against Orlando Pirates in the league opener this weekend and coach Eric Tinkler was confident his Sekhukhune side could have a solid start against the Buccaneers while Bucs Moroccan coach Abdeslam Ouaddou expressed happiness with the performance of team, especially his new signings.

Lamontville Golden Arrows coach Manqoba Mngqithi said premiership rookies Siwelele FC was a closed book to him and he doesn’t know what to say about them and Lehlohonolo Seema reiterated the same sentiments about Arrows. “They too are a closed book to us hence I have comments.”

Siwelele bought the status of SuperSport United during the of-season period and will revive the former Bloemfontein Celtic side that was popularly known as Siwelele. The side’s maiden season may not speak much to their character but only time will tell.

Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker had little to say about his side’s encounter with Chiefs but only to say he looked forward to it. His Chiefs counterpart Nasreddine Nabi said he would not promise to win the league, but that AmaKhosi will be up to the fight this season. “We shall talk about the league when we have won it,” he
added.