Will Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates Capitalise on a Perfect Pre-Season While Sundowns Juggle Club World Cup Duties?

As the 2025/26 season approaches, all eyes are on whether Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates can use their ideal pre-season setups to gain an early advantage over rivals Mamelodi Sundowns.

Chiefs have already resumed training, while Pirates are expected to report back by the end of the week. In contrast, Sundowns remain in the United States, focused on their ongoing FIFA Club World Cup campaign. The Tshwane side is set to face Brazilian outfit Fluminense in their final Group F clash at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Wednesday night (21:00 SA time). Only a win will see them progress to the knockout stage; anything less could send them back home before the weekend.

The demanding nature of Sundowns’ season cannot be understated. Including their current Club World Cup matches, the Brazilians will have played a staggering 55 games across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign. This includes multiple taxing trips to North Africa during the CAF Champions League, leaving their squad physically stretched and in need of recovery.

Should their Club World Cup journey end this week, Sundowns will have minimal rest before the domestic season kicks off in August. With only a few weeks in between to regroup, their preparations will be significantly shorter compared to their domestic rivals.

Kaizer Chiefs, on the other hand, reported back to duty last Friday and are set for a focused pre-season camp in the Netherlands from July 3 to 19. Under the guidance of Nasreddine Nabi, the club will benefit from a more structured and uninterrupted build-up. Not featuring in the early rounds of the MTN8 also means fewer distractions as they work to implement their new systems and improve squad cohesion.

Orlando Pirates will return to training on Friday, June 27, before jetting off to Marbella, Spain, for their own intensive camp from July 8 to 20. There, they will take on European opposition, including Bolton Wanderers (England), Pafos (Cyprus), and Spanish sides Las Palmas and Granada. These high-level friendlies are expected to provide valuable match sharpness and test their tactical readiness ahead of the new season.

The big question remains: will this extended preparation window allow Chiefs and Pirates to close the gap on Sundowns, or even start the new campaign ahead of them? With less travel, fewer games, and controlled pre-season environments, the Soweto giants have a rare opportunity to gain the upper hand early.

All eyes will be on the opening weeks of the new season to see whether the extra time and meticulous planning will pay off—or whether Sundowns’ momentum and experience at global level will once again prove too much to overcome.