Betway Premiership: León delivers on the big stage as Sundowns topple Pirates

Big money striker signing Brayan León scored twice at the end of the first half to give reigning Betway Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns a massive 2-1 victory over hosts Orlando Pirates on Wednesday.

The Colombian now has six goals in his first seven matches with Masandawana, whose decisive surge before halftime was enough to hold off the Bucs at the Orlando Stadium.

León took advantage of excellent service, first from Nuno Santos in the 37th minute before striking again four minutes later from a brilliant cross by Aubrey Modiba. The acquisition from Independiente Medellin is proving to be worth the money with his clinical finishing a timely addition.

A huge 3️⃣ points secured as we leave Soweto with the win.

Orlando Pirates (46’ Maswanganyi) 1️⃣➖2️⃣ Mamelodi Sundowns (36’, 40’ León)#Sundowns #BetwayPrem #AreyengMasandawana pic.twitter.com/C5ShK1ubdU

— Mamelodi Sundowns FC (@Masandawana) February 18, 2026

Patrick Maswanganyi pulled a goal back early in the second half but the hosts struggled to capitalize on the momentum gained.

But for Bafana ba Style coach Miguel Cardoso, it is a massive result that comes shortly after the South African club champions fought off fierce resistance in Group C to advance to the CAF Champions League quarterfinals. After eight seasons of dominance in their domestic league, the Portuguese coach is under heavy pressure during an unusually tight 2025-26 campaign.

The Bucs, meanwhile, remain three points ahead of Wednesday’s rivals at the top of the table but the champions can now move level with a game in hand. They will have an opportunity to level the title race next Tuesday when they travel to face AmaZulu in Durban.

But for now, both teams will turn their attention to the Nedbank Cup on the weekend. The reigning champions will travel to face TS Galaxy while the Sea Robbers host second tier side Casric Stars on Saturday in the Round of 16.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Stellenbosch FC suffered more disappointment with a 1-1 draw at home to bottom side Magesi FC. The two teams cancelled each other out with a goal each by halftime before a slog of a second half failed to determine a winner.