By McGeorge Mbare
The South African Premier Soccer League reigning champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, stunned log leaders Orlando Pirates 2-1 on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at the FNB Stadium, cutting the Buccaneers’ lead at the summit to three points.
Before coming into this match, the Buccaneers were leading the table with 6 points and things turned upside down when the Brazilians snatched a victory away from home.
The Colombian forward, Brayan Leon, broke the deadlock in the 37th minute, before netting his second goal of the match in the 40th to seal the victory for the Brazilians.
The Buccaneers responded immediately after halftime. Maswanganyi fired from range and his effort took a heavy deflection off Teboho Mokoena, wrong-footing Williams and pulling one back.
It’s rare to see Sundowns playing catch-up at this stage of the season, a position they’re far more accustomed to imposing on others over the past 8 years.
Speaking on iDiski TV/iDiski Times, former Kaizer Chiefs player Junior Kanye said Pirates lost because they approached this match with a different strategy from their day to day plan.
“I think Orlando Pirates approached this game totally differently from what they usually do. They waited for Sundowns; they respected Sundowns. They were supposed to play to their strengths. We know Pirates; each and every game, they’re not playing on brakes or counter-attacks; they play on departments. They waited for Sundowns to make mistakes, but guess what? Sundowns gained confidence from it,” Kanye said.
The Buccaneers will now prepare for the Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs in what promises to be another demanding campaign as they search for a win and continue chasing to end their over 14-year league title drought. Meanwhile, Sundowns continues to fight and try to defend their title and reclaim their dominance once again.