Mamelodi Sundowns claimed a dramatic victory against TS Galaxy in their 2026/27 Betway Premiership opener at Mbombela Stadium, with substitute Sphelele Mkhulise coming off the bench to score a second-half brace.
Sundowns opened the scoring early in the first half, but Galaxy fought back with two goals from Victor Letsoalo to take the lead for the first time on the night. However, Mkhulise came off the bench to score two quick goals and give the away side the win.
Masandawana finally got their season underway in the league after having their opening match against Marumo Gallants postponed due to the sad passing of Bafana Bafana star Jayden Adams.
The Brazilians had a promising start to their match against Galaxy, finding the back of the net in the sixth minute with a spot kick from Brayan Leon.
Sundowns won a penalty after Tashreeq Matthews was fouled by Junior Zindoga in the box. After León stepped up to give the reigning CAF Champions League champions the lead, the Rockets restored parity with a goal from Victor Letsoalo.
Here are the key observations from Sundowns’ tight encounter against TS Galaxy:
1. BRAYAN LEON CONTINUES FINE FORM
The Colombian striker is continuing his impressive scoring form after underlining his name as one of the best finishers last season.
Leon arrived at Sundowns in the January 2026 transfer window and quickly won the hearts of the club’s supporters after scoring 15 goals in his first six months with the Chloorkop-based outfit.
The goal poacher also played a major role in delivering the elusive Champions League after scoring five goals in 10 games in the continental showpiece.
After missing the MTN8 quarter-final clash against Polokwane City FC due to a suspension carried over from last season, León returned to the starting line-up and marked the occasion with a goal.
2. FAWAAZ BASADIEN PREFERRED OVER AUBREY MODIBA
In a surprise decision from the Sundowns head coach, Miguel Cardoso, Fawaaz Basadien has been the preferred choice in the left-back position, managing to bench Aubrey Modiba.
The former Stellenbosch FC defender started the match against Polokwane City before getting another nod in the line-up against the Mpumalanga-based side tonight.
3. TEBOHO MOKOENA NOTABLE ABSENTEE
The highly-rated midfielder missed the opening match of the Premiership after featuring in the MTN8 quarter-final against Rise and Shine. Mokoena sustained an injury in the game against the Limpopo side, although the extent of his injury is currently unknown.
4. MAMELODI SUNDOWNS ENDS FOUR-MATCH AWAY STREAK AGAINST THE ROCKETS
Before securing the hard-fought win, Sundowns were winless against the Rockets away from home.
In the past four matches, Sundowns had suffered three losses against Tim Sukazi’s men and played one draw.
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