Kick Off

During his farewell dinner ahead of his move to Belgium's Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Relebohile Mofokeng took a playful, light-hearted jab at Orlando Pirates' fierce rivals Kaizer Chiefs. Mofokeng has completed his dream European switch after signing a lucrative four-year contract with Belgian Pro League outfit Royale Union Saint-Gilloise from Orlando Pirates.

It has not taken long for former Kaizer Chiefs star Aden McCarthy to make his debut for his new club, Sabah FK, with his first appearance coming in a UEFA club competition. Here's a look. The story McCarthy recently joined Azerbaijani giants Sabah on a three-year deal. The South African began pre-season with the club just a few weeks ago and featured in several friendly matches.

News reaching the KickOff desk is that a PSL club has identified Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Siyabonga Mabena as one of the players to bring on board ahead of the new season. University of Pretoria have Nhlanhla Mgaga as their latest signing, as the former Stellenbosch man joins on a one-year deal with an option for a further year, as revealed by this website on Tuesday.

After arriving at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise as the most valued player from the PSL, Relebohile Mofokeng has dwarfed in comparison to his new teammates. Following his exploits with Orlando Pirates last season where the club won the league treble for the first time since 2012, Mofokeng saw his value rise to €3 million (R56 m). This made him the highest-valued player in the PSL, before even going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Bafana Bafana and prior to completing his move to Union SG.

A PSL club that finished the past season among the big guns in the Top Eight is currently assessing a former Baroka FC striker as they look to bolster their frontline with a natural-born scorer. David Mothipi, who has been entrusted with the goalscoring duties at Baroka in the Motsepe Foundation Championship over the past two seasons, is being assessed by Polokwane City.

Duane Vermeulen is unfazed by the squad's lack of experience, insisting the less-capped players were picked on merit and bring great energy. Experienced heads like Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Jesse Kriel, and Handred Pollard provide the calm to channel the squad's excitement in the right direction. Saturday is about more than the result, it's a crucial opportunity to identify which players can handle top-level pressure. For more Springbok rugby news, click HERE.

Police in Mpumalanga have released a statement a regarding a 27-year-old professional soccer player who was reported missing, with a fake kidnapping being probed. The news of the soccer player's disappearance was brought to the Police's attention by his family, according to the statement.

AmaZulu President and businessman Sandile Zungu has opened up on why he is contesting for SAFA Presidency. The SAFA elections are on the horizon on 12 September, with Zungu being lobbied by multiple regions in different provinces to run for presidency. Incumbent Danny Jordaan, backed by Football Transformation Forum (FTF) has been at the helm since 2013 and is reportedly seeking a fourth term, amid cries from various quarters for a change of guard.

Nasreddine Nabi's side, Raja Club Athletic, have secured a place in the CAF Confederation Cup, where he could face former club Kaizer Chiefs at some stage in the tournament. Raja finished third in the 2025/26 Moroccan league standings, securing qualification for the Confederation Cup. READ| ICYMI: Rele’s Union thump Ngezana’s FCSB Their coach, Nabi, was appointed only last month to replace South African tactician Fadlu Davids.

Junior Springbok prop Kai Pratt has tested positive for a prohibited substance, according to News24. The test was conducted during the World Rugby U20 Championship in April. Pratt is not part of the South African squad defending their World Rugby U20 Championship title in Georgia due to injury. Khalid Galant, CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS), told News24 that Pratt has requested that his B-sample be tested.