Reviewed by Shihaam IsaacsSouth Africa sports betting writer
Published 23 September 2026
Orlando Pirates beat Marumo Gallants by two goals to nil at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on Sunday for a fifth league win in a row, and the Betway Premiership lead is now a single point with a match still in hand.
Kabelo Kgositsile put Pirates ahead in the first half and Nkosinathi Sibisi added the second after the hour. Gallants are still without a win this season.
The lead is now one point and one match
Mamelodi Sundowns have twenty points from eight matches. Pirates have nineteen from seven. That is a one point gap on the table and a fixture in reserve, which is a different position from the one Pirates were in a week earlier.
Sundowns dropped two of those points at Chippa United, where they needed a goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to draw. A leader who has to rescue a point and a chaser on five straight wins is the shape of a title race rather than a procession, and the match in hand is the part that decides it.
What a match in hand is actually worth
A game in hand is three points only if it is won, and Pirates have to play it against a side that is also trying to finish high. The honest way to read the table now is that Pirates are level on merit and ahead on form, and that Sundowns have eight rounds of evidence to Pirates seven.
Where to bet: Hollywoodbets and Betway, both licensed through provincial gambling boards, price the Betway Premiership in rand on match result, both teams to score, total goals and the outright title, with deposits by Ozow instant EFT, Capitec Pay and OTT Voucher. A title market built on a one point gap moves on every Pirates result and barely at all on a Sundowns win, because the chaser carries the shorter price only once the match in hand is played. Compare the books before the gap closes further. Our guide to the best betting sites in South Africa covers licensing and payout times, and there is more in South Africa soccer news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
