2024/25 Betway Premiership
Matchday 9
Mamelodi Sundowns v Chippa United
Loftus Versfeld Stadium
Pretoria, South Africa
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Kick-off is at 19h30
Mamelodi Sundowns will be looking to edge ever closer to a record eighth straight
Betway Premiership title when they welcome Chippa United to Loftus Versfeld on Wednesday, May 7.
Bafana ba Style quickly put the disappointment of their 2-1 defeat to Orlando Pirates behind them after registering back-to-back wins against Richards Bay and Cape Town City.
The Brazilians' 2-0 victory in Cape Town on May 3 maintained the 12-point gap to Orlando Pirates in second place, with the Buccaneers having beaten Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in the Soweto derby earlier that same day.
Miguel Cardoso's side have played two games more than Pirates, who were due to face Golden Arrows on May 6 which could see the deficit reduced to nine points by the time the league leaders are in action again.
The Chilli Boys' top-eight challenge suffered another damaging blow with a 2-0 loss to SuperSport United on May 3, allowing Marumo Gallants (10th), Richards Bay (11th) and Magesi (12th) to close right up on their tails.
Chippa have now failed to win their last four matches, picking up just two points in the process, and they're barely holding onto eighth spot.
Thabo September's side are in a three-way tie with Kaizer Chiefs (9th) and Bahlabane Ba Ntwa on 30 points, with the Natal Rich Boyz and Dikwena tsa Meetse trail the trio by just one point.
This will be the first of two league encounters between the two teams in the space of just seven days and Cardoso has urged his players not to drop the ball in their quest for a 17th top-flight title.
"We need to play each match with great respect because we don't know if we'll drop points along the way. Each game takes us closer to our objective, but we still have to earn those points. There's a big respect for the next game," Cardoso said.
"We need to put all our energy on the pitch – no-one wants to be left out at this stage. We play with respect and humility, and being humble is a value that keeps us focused on our responsibilities."
September shouldered the blame for the slip-up against Matsatsantsa after admitting the gamble to play Seun Ndlovu as a striker didn't pay off.
"I think we have to take the blame as coaches and say plan A didn't work, we experimented with Seun Ndlovu up front," September said.
"We also told him before the game that there's this opportunity that you play up front, but if it's not working, we are going to play you at the back and play three centre-backs, but there is also an option of taking you out and putting in a striker.
"However, that didn't work. We took him out going into the second half, conceding early, three minutes into the second half. It was already 2-0, and that killed the momentum of what we wanted to do in the second half."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Betway Premiership Meetings)
Matches - 5
Sundowns wins - 5
Chippa wins - 0
Draws - 0
Bet on the Betway Premiership at Betway
Kick off your sports betting journey & place a winning bet with our exciting Sports Welcome Offer where you’ll get up to R1,000 as a Free Bet when you make your first deposit.
Join our Telegram Channel
Get way more with Betway. Enjoy the thrill of sports betting, casino games, and more. Join our community for tips, bonuses, and exciting offers. #BetwaySquad
For all the latest sports news, betting tips and promotions follow Betway on Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, Instagram and Youtube. Download the Betway app to bet on the go!