Eleven Games Without a Win. They Beat Sundowns 3-2.
TS Galaxy had not won in the league since January. Eleven games. They sat five points above the relegation zone with nothing meaningful left to play for.
Mamelodi Sundowns came to Mbombela needing a win to keep the title in their hands. Nine successive championships. A dynasty built over eight years.
Galaxy won 3-2. The title is no longer in Sundowns’ hands.
Orlando Pirates need one win from their remaining two games. Beat Durban City on Saturday or Orbit College the week after and the trophy is theirs. For the first time in 14 years.
Galaxy Scored in the 7th, 18th and 46th
Sundowns should have scored in the first minute. A defensive mix-up from Mbunjana gifted Sales a clean run on goal. Tape was down quickly. Brilliant save. Galaxy survived and grew from it.
Seven minutes gone — penalty against Sundowns. Mdunyelwa clattered into Mahlambi inside the box. Clear foul. Letsoalo stepped up and converted calmly. 1-0. The 11-game winless run was already looking like it might end.
18th minute — it got worse. Mahlambi broke clear on the counter, drove forward and teed up Sedwyn George who rifled it into the bottom corner. 2-0. Sundowns had been ripped apart on the break twice in 18 minutes against a team that had not won since January.
Leon Hauled Sundowns Back
38th minute. Brayan Leon scored. His fifth goal in four league games since arriving from South America. He had been Sundowns’ best player since January. 2-1.
Three minutes later — another penalty. Leon converted it himself. 2-2. Half-time level. The Sundowns bench could breathe.
The numbers at the break: Leon with two goals, Galaxy still dangerous on the break, Tape making saves he had no right to make at the other end. Everything to play for.
Mvelase in the 46th. That Was It.
One minute into the second half. Mpho Mvelase collected the ball in midfield, drove forward and scored. 3-2. The Mbombela crowd that had been building all night went wild.
Man of the Match Veluyeke Zulu had kept Leon quiet in the latter stages. Mvelase ran the midfield for 90 minutes. Galaxy sat deep and broke fast. Every time Sundowns pushed forward there was a Galaxy counter threatening behind them.
Sundowns brought on Rayners late. Then Reisinho. Then others. The changes did not work. The goal would not come. Tape made another save late on. Arthur Sales yellow-carded for time-wasting — a night that summed up everything that went wrong.
Full time. 3-2. Galaxy’s first league win since January. Sundowns’ title defence over in all but name.
What It Means
Pirates need to beat Durban City at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday to claim the title due to a superior goal difference. If not on Saturday, they can do it the following week against Orbit College. Either way it is in their hands completely now.
Sundowns sit top on 68 points. Pirates on 65 with two games left. Win one of those and Pirates win on goal difference — they sit at plus 44 compared to Sundowns’ plus 37. The gap is clear.
For Brayan Leon the timing is cruel. Six goals, two assists in four games since arriving in January. He hauled Sundowns back from 2-0 down tonight and it still was not enough. He now has one mission left — the CAF Champions League final against AS FAR Rabat starting Sunday at Loftus Versfeld. Win that and this season has a trophy. Not the one they wanted. Still significant.
Nine consecutive Betway Premiership titles. That run is ending. Galaxy — bottom half, nothing to play for, 11 games without a win — delivered the blow.
Football can be brutal. Tuesday at Mbombela was exactly that.
For more PSL and South African football coverage visit FawaNews football. Full Betway Premiership table and remaining fixtures at the official PSL website.
TS Galaxy 3-2 Mamelodi Sundowns Betway Premiership Round 29 | Tuesday, 12 May 2026 | Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Goals: Victor Letsoalo 7′ pen, Sedwyn George 18′, Mpho Mvelase 46′ (GAL) | Brayan Leon 38′, 41′ pen (SUN) Yellow Cards: Mahlambi (GAL) | Leon, Allende, Sales, Mokoena (SUN)
TS Galaxy XI: Tape | Mbunjana, Xulu, Zulu, Mncwango | Mahlambi, Maduna | Mbunjana, Mvelase | Letsoalo, George Subs: Various
Mamelodi Sundowns XI: Williams | Mdunyelwa, Johannes, Kekana, Modiba | Mokoena, Allende | Letlhaku, Santos | Sales, Leon Subs: Rayners, Reisinho, Zwane, Ntsabeleng
HT: 2-2 | FT: 3-2 Table: Sundowns 1st (68 pts, season done) | Pirates 2nd (65 pts, 2 games left)
