TS Galaxy FC will face Mamelodi Sundowns in a midweek Betway Premiership derby, with Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso admitting his team is not at their best. The match will take place at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit on 11 August 2026 at 7:30pm.
What happened?
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has admitted that his team is “not at their best” heading into their opening Betway Premiership clash against TS Galaxy FC. Sundowns were not in action on the opening weekend of the league season, but got their campaign underway successfully this past Saturday evening, defeating Polokwane City 3-2 after extra time in an MTN8 quarterfinal match at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.
Why it matters for TS Galaxy FC
TS Galaxy FC opened their Betway Premiership campaign with a 2-2 draw away to Siwelele FC on Sunday 2 August. The Rockets twice fought back from being a goal down to secure a share of the spoils, thanks to goals from Victor Letsoalo (penalty) and Veluyeke Zulu. Galaxy will hope to show a similar fighting spirit against their title-chasing opponents this midweek, but will have to do so without Sipho Maseti. The goalkeeper will be unavailable due to suspension, having been sent off late on in the match against Siwelele.
What comes next?
TS Galaxy FC will need to take their chances against Sundowns, and striker Victor Letsoalo not only scored from the penalty spot against Siwelele in the opening round, he also converted from 12 yards in the last match between the Rockets and Sundowns at the back end of last season. Sundowns will be nursing a few knocks from the match - with Polokwane allowed to get away with several aggressive challenges to the likes of Teboho Mokoena and Iqraam Rayners.
Head-to-head
In head-to-head stats, Galaxy and Sundowns have met in 12 league matches, dating back as far as the 2020/21 season. The Brazilians have claimed eight wins compared to three for the Rockets, while just one game has been drawn. Each side took three points from the teams’ two league meetings last season: Sundowns won 1-0 at home in November 2025, while Galaxy won the return game 3-2 in May 2026. In between, the Rockets also defeated the Brazilians 2-0 in a Nedbank Cup tie in February 2026.
League standing: TS Galaxy FC is 7th in the Premier Soccer League, with 1 point from 1 game, recent form D. Goals this season: TS Galaxy FC has scored 2 goals and conceded 2, with a goal difference of 0. Title race: TS Galaxy FC is 2 points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs.
