Chiefs bounce back from shock defeat, Highlands Park continue winning ways
At the start of the 2025 Gauteng Development League season, Kaizer Chiefs experienced a few bumps in the road, beginning with a 2-2 draw against Supersport United in the season opener.
Coach David Mathebula‘s side, then, crashed out of the Top Eight competition, losing in the semi-finals, before hitting yet another brick wall at Randburg AFC, on Friday.
They were handed a humbling 1-2 defeat, a loss that suggested they’re perhaps not as powerful a unit as they appeared to be last season.
However, teams tend to reveal their true character in periods of struggle and Mathebula’s team did just that when they hosted East Rand Athletic Club at Naturena, on Sunday, following their loss to Randburg.
In a morale-boosting performance, Chiefs registered a convincing 5-1 victory.
While Chiefs have had their struggles, coach Sifiso Mnguni‘s Highlands Park, the defending two-time league champions, continue to quietly chip away in defence of their crown.
They completed a clean sweep on the weekend, beating Panorama FC 4-1 away from home before going on to outlast a stubborn Kathorus Hyper Academy outfit 2-1 at Balfour Park on Sunday.
After beating Chiefs on Friday, Randburg AFC wrapped up a good weekend for the club with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Wits Junior at Marks Park, which meant Wits exited the long weekend without a point after their fixture against Mamelodi Sundowns was postponed.
Sundowns ran rampant against Panorama FC on Sunday, handing out a 9-0 thrashing, while Tuks, TS Galaxy, and Supersport United ran over their opponents, winning all their fixtures over the long weekend.
RESULTS
Friday, 21 March
Panorama 1-4 Highlands Park
Randburg AFC 2-1 Kaizer Chiefs
Wits Junior vs Mamelodi Sundowns (Postponed)
Kathorus Hyper Academy 1-0 Elspark United Academy
East Rand Athletic Club 0-4 SuperSport United
TS Galaxy 3-2 Seven’s Academy
Remember Elite Sport Academy 4-2 Joburg City
Jomo Cosmos 1-4 School of Excellence
Tuks 3-0 Rockefvs
Sunday, 23 March
Wits Junior 0-3 Randburg AFC
Mamelodi Sundowns 9-0 Panorama
Highlands Park 2-1 Kathorus Hyper Academy
SuperSport United 3-2 Remember Elite Sport Academy
Kaizer Chiefs 5-1 East Rand Athletic Club
Seven’s Academy 1-1 Jomo Cosmos
Elspark United Academy 0-1 TS Galaxy
Joburg City 0-1 Tuks
School of Excellence 2-0 Rockefvs
