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Sazi Hadebe

Sazi Hadebe is passionate about writing about SA football and has done it for more than 20 years. He's the former editor of Isolezwe (between 2012 and early 2016). Other than football, he follows almost all other sports and local news and events around the world. He's in his second stint as football writer at the Sunday Times and was part of the the team that broke the Operation Dribble story, a referee scandal in SA football, in 2004. The story won him an SAB Sports Award, alongside Kgomotso Mokoena, in 2005.

Menzi Chili of Milford FC celebrates goal with teammates during the Betway Premiership 2025/26 Promotion Playoffs match against Magesi FC at Seshego Stadium in Polokwane, on 13 June 2026.

Milford gain promotion to PSL’s topflight, Magesi relegated

KwaZulu-Natal now has five teams in the Premier Soccer League’s premier division after Milford gained promotion to the big time after holding Magesi FC to a 1-1 draw at Seshego Stadium in Limpopo on Saturday.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Therlo Moosa of Cape Town City FC celebrates goal during the Betway Premiership 2025/26 Promotion Playoffs match against Milford FC at Umhlathuze Sports Complex on the 06 June 2026 in Richards Bay.

Moosa’s late strike gives City crucial win in PSL’s promotion/relegation play-offs

The Premier Soccer League’s promotion/relegation play-offs were blown wide open when a late strike by Therlo Moosa gave Cape Town City a lifeline as they beat log leaders Milford FC 1-0 at Umhlathuze Sports Complex on Saturday.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Patrick Maswanganyi of Orlando Pirates celebrates a goal with teammates during the 2026 Nedbank Cup match against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 7 February 2026.

Pirates through to Nedbank Cup last 16 after thrashing TTM 4-1 in Durban

Orlando Pirates strolled into the last 16 of the Nedbank Cup after beating Limpopo’s amateur club Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) 4-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Georges-Kévin N'Koudou of Cameroon is challenged by Clinton Mata of Angola in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Yaoundé, Cameroon, in October. Lyon centre-back Mata will be a tough competitor

Bafana’s Group B opponents: Angola will be strong competitors at Afcon

Palancas Negras have experienced campaigners from strong European clubs in all departments and pose a threat to South Africa.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Bafana Bafana players, including Teboho Mokoena and Relebohile Mofokeng in the foreground, warm up for their training session at Pretoria University's High Performance Centre on December 10 2025.

Pieces in place for Bafana to win Afcon ― Broos, of course, is urging caution

Realisation of their potential to win things has awakened tremendous hunger, and that’s a dangerous commodity for a team to have

  • Sazi Hadebe
Evidence Mokgopa of Orlando Pirates celebrates his goal with Relebohile Mofekeng of Orlando Pirates during the Betway Premiership 2025/26 match against Durban City at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 29 November 2025.

Pirates on top of log after beating City in Durban

The first 20 minutes of this encounter belonged to Gavin Hunt’s City side as they frustrated the visitors, even forcing their dependable defenders to make some rare errors.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Bafana Bafana's Appolis Oswin is challenged by Zambia's Musonda Lubado in their friendly at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on November 15.

What we learnt: Broos set to name tried and tested, with some surprises, in final Afcon squad

There is much talent for the coach to choose from but only 27 can go to Morocco

  • Sazi Hadebe
Hugo Broos when he announced the Bafana squad for the friendly against Zambia.

‘It’s not such a nice thing to drop a player,’ says Broos as he finalises Bafana Afcon squad

The coach has to announce his final squad early December as the team will then be in camp to start preparing for Afcon

  • Sazi Hadebe
Neo Bohloko of South Africa celebrates a goal with his teammates during the 2025 U17 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal match against Morocco at El Bachir Stadium in Mohammedia, Morocco on 10 April 2025.

Amajimbos crash out of the World Cup

Amajimbos crashed out of the Fifa Under-17 World Cup after they were thrashed 3-0 by Japan in a last-32 match At Aspire Zone (pitch 3), Bader Bilal in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Tshepang Moremi warms up for Orlando Pirates for their Betway Premiership match against Lamontville Golden Arrows in Durban last week. Moremi could stake a claim for an Afcon squad place in Bafana Bafana's friendly against Zambia.

Five Bafana fringe players who could clinch an Afcon squad place against Zambia

Friendly in Gqeberha takes the form of a trial match for several players jostling to be taken by Hugo Broos to Morocco

  • Sazi Hadebe

Mbokazi’s wonder goal sails Pirates into the last 8

Would you believe it? Central defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi scored a scorcher of a goal from way outside the area to save Orlando Pirates blushes as they booked a place in the quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout Cup at Orlando Stadium on…

  • Sazi Hadebe
South Africa's Shakeel April and Gomolemo Kekana will have to be at their best against the US during their Fifa U20 World Cup clash on Sunday.

Amajita coach Mdaka hoping for good result against ‘tough’ USA

The South Africa U20 side will realise the value of their emphatic 5-0 win over New Caledonia if they avoid defeat against the USA in their final Group E match of the U20 Fifa World Cup at the Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile at…

  • Sazi Hadebe
Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze is confident goals will come.

Chiefs’ Kaze says goals will come in Carling Knockout clash with Stellenbosch

Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze believes they are close to where they want the team to be despite struggling in recent games to produce convincing results.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Inácio Miguel of Kaizer Chiefs wins header during the Betway Premiership 2025/26 football match between Kaizer Chiefs and AmaZulu FC at Soccer City in Johannesburg o

Chiefs spurn chances as they are held by AmaZulu at FNB

Kaizer Chiefs wasted an avalanche of chances as they were forced to come from behind to earn a 1-1 Betway Premiership draw against AmaZulu at FNB Stadium on Wednesday night.

  • Sazi Hadebe
Teboho Mokoena during the anthems for Bafana Bafana's 2026 World Cup qualifying draw against Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on March 21.
Video

Bafana docked three points for fielding ineligible Mokoena in World Cup game against Lesotho

Fifa DC ‘declared the match in question to have been forfeited by South Africa by a score of 3-0’.

  • Sazi Hadebe