Randburg stuns Siwelele, Rockefvs goes top of GDL
On Saturday, the Randburg Sports Complex filled with an enthusiastic crowd as the Randburg Association Football Club (AFC) hosted Siwelele, the team at the top of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) standings.
The Pretoria club headed into the clash top of the table after charging to a 7-0 win over Rockefvs last week. However, after suffering a 0-3 defeat to Randburg, they no longer lead the way.
In Saturday’s showdown, both teams were guilty of spurning goal-scoring opportunities. Half-chances that could have influenced the outcome of the clash were missed, and free kicks, taken from dangerous positions, came to nought.
In a post-match interview with SuperSport Schools News, Randburg’s coach Collins Mbesuma said his team was aware that Siwelele was full of confidence after their win over Rockefvs, and that Saturday’s clash would be challenging.
“In the first half, we knew what we were dealing with, and that’s why we made some changes in the second half. We made tactical changes, introducing speedy wingers, and you can see we got the three goals from that,” he explained.
Mbesuma said he also advised his players to be patient and to use the entire field.
In the second half, Randburg was reinvigorated and had an early opportunity to end the stalemate. However, when they were granted a free kick on the edge of the box, they were unable to convert it.
They took the lead, though, through Junior Muntanga. Under pressure to equalise, Siwelele then fell victim to a speedy counterattack, with Rori Tsaagane extending Randburg’s lead.
Muntanga made sure of Randburg’s win two minutes after Tsaagane scored the second goal. By then, the home side had the bit between their teeth, and they created further chances without capitalising.
Siwelele desperately tried to find a response to alter the game’s outcome and introduced two forwards in the final 20 minutes to pressure Randburg’s central defenders. The home team reacted by substituting in a midfielder for reinforcement, which provided them with stability.
After the victory, Mbesuma told SuperSport Schools News that although Randburg is in the top five of the GDL race, their approach is not about focusing on their league position. Rather, he said, they approach each game individually.
“We don’t think about that (winning the league), at the moment,” Mbesuma said. “We just take each game as it comes. We prepare game by game. You know the boys, when you give them too much credit, they fall,” he said.
Despite the win, Randburg remains in fifth place, with 25 points.
Rockefvs, after their sobering defeat against Siwelele, regrouped and returned to winning form with a 2-0 victory over Africa School of Excellence.
Thabang Mokoena opened the scoring for Rockefvs in the 20th minute, and 12 minutes later, Itebogeng Maake, who has been a regular on the score sheet, extended the lead from the penalty spot.
With the win, Rockefvs leapfrogged Siwelele and regained first place in the standings. They have 29 points after 14 matches.
The defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, moved to within a point of the top after a 5-0 victory over Pitso Mosimane Youth Football (PMYF) on Saturday, in a match held on ‘Downs‘ home ground at Clapham High.
With their loss, Siwelele fell to third place with 27 points, which means Pretoria clubs occupy the top three places in the GDL standings.
Kaizer Chiefs is also in contention. They’re in fourth place with 26 points after a 3-1 win over Joburg City on Sunday at Kaizer Chiefs Village in Naturena.
Remember Elite Sport Academy (RESA) lies sixth after recording a 3-1 win over Seven’s Academy. RESA has 23 points, just two points shy of the top five.
The 2025 runner-up, Highlands Park, is experiencing an unusually slow and atypical season. In recent campaigns, they have tended to start relatively slowly before building momentum. This year, however, with new players joining the u19 division and despite their familiarity with GDL football, Sfiso Mnguni’s team is struggling to find its best form.
They are, though, only 13 matches into the season, and the league continues into November. Securing victories in the early stages of the season is important, as is maintaining that level of performance throughout the second half. The Lions of the North are well aware of that, perhaps better than anyone else.
They were the champions in 2023 and 2024, and they came very close to winning the GDL title again last year. This season, however, victories have been elusive, and their record is a middling four wins, five draws, and four losses.
On the weekend, they played to a goalless draw against Kathorus Hyper Academy at Huntersfield Stadium in Katlehong.
Panorama, currently in the 11th position, also played to a draw against Wits Junior, but their match was filled with goals and ended in a 3-3 tie. Noah Booth was outstanding for Panorama, scoring two goals, while the Roodepoort club’s third goal was an own goal, credited to the Students.
Jomo Cosmos and Future of Africa also shared a draw, with their clash on Sunday ending 1-1.
Following their loss to Rockevfs on Saturday, Africa School of Excellence rebounded with a 3-1 victory over the University of Pretoria (Tuks) on Sunday.
RESULTS
Saturday, 6 June
Rockefvs 2-0 Africa School of Excellence
Randburg 3-0 Siwelele
Panorama 3-3 Wits Junior
RESA 3-1 Seven’s Academy
Highlands Park 0-0 Kathorus Hyper Academy
Sunday, 7 June
Kaizer Chiefs 3-1 Joburg City
Jomo Cosmos 1-1 Future of Africa
Mamelodi Sundowns 4-0 PMYF
Africa School of Excellence 3-1 Tuks
- Randburg stuns Siwelele, Rockefvs goes top of GDL - 2026-06-08
- Umvuzo wins promotion to KZNHSFA Inland B-League - 2026-06-07
- Siwelele retains GDL top spot after a 7-0 win over Rockefvs - 2026-06-02
