The Betway Premiership delivered an entertaining midweek round of fixtures on Tuesday night, with four matches producing 11 goals and several notable results that reshaped the early 2026/27 standings.
Reigning champions Orlando Pirates strengthened their position at the summit with a controlled 2-0 victory over Sekhukhune United at the Orlando Amstel Arena. TS Galaxy claimed their first win of the season in a thrilling 3-2 success away to Marumo Gallants, while Durban City secured a long-waited first victory by beating newly promoted Kruger United 2-0. In the remaining fixture, Siwelele FC and Chippa United shared the points in a 1-1 draw.
Buccaneers stay clear at the top
Pirates made it three wins from four league matches and extended their unbeaten start with a professional performance against Sekhukhune. Boitumelo Radiopane opened the scoring in the 36th minute, finishing neatly from a Kamogelo Sebelebele assist after an earlier missed chance. The young forward then turned provider just after the hour mark, unselfishly squaring the ball for birthday boy Oswin Appollis to tap home and seal the points.
The result lifted Abdeslam Ouaddou's side to 10 points, three clear of the chasing pack heading into Wednesday's fixtures. It also marked a winning 50th match in charge for the Moroccan coach. Pirates kept a third consecutive clean sheet, underlining their defensive solidity early in the title defence. Sekhukhune coach Cedric Kaze was sent off late in the match and will miss the MTN8 second leg against the same opponents later this week.
Galaxy edge five-goal thriller
At the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, TS Galaxy produced a strong response to earlier mixed results by coming from behind to beat Marumo Gallants. Gallants struck early through Msindisi Ndlovu in the fourth minute, but Sepana Letsoalo equalised in the 21st minute. Sedwyn George put the Rockets ahead early in the second half, and Letsoalo converted a penalty on the hour to make it 3-1. Onke Moletshe pulled one back for Gallants with 16 minutes remaining, but Bernard Parker's side held firm for their first three points of the campaign, moving them up to eighth on five points. Gallants remain near the bottom with just one point from four matches.
Durban City break their duck
Newly promoted Kruger United's wait for a first Premiership win continued as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Durban City at the Mbombela Stadium. Jean Lwamba gave the visitors an early lead in the seventh minute, and Gaston Sirino doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half with his first goal for the club. The result moved Durban City onto five points and seventh place, while Kruger United remain rooted to the foot of the table on a single point.
Points shared in Bloemfontein
Siwelele and Chippa United played out a tightly contested 1-1 draw at the Free State Stadium. Azola Matrose put the Chilli Boys ahead in the 52nd minute, but Yandisa Mfolozi equalised for the hosts in the 75th minute. Both sides remain without a win so far this season, with Chippa on three points and Siwelele on two.
Looking ahead
Attention now turns to Wednesday's Matchday 4 fixtures, which include high-stakes clashes involving Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu. With Pirates already on 10 points, the chasing pack will be eager to close the gap as the early season continues to take shape.