African leagues round-up: Orlando Pirates win Soweto Derby, Zamalek take charge in Egypt

African football is alive every weekend with exciting league action around the continent, and our weekly round-up highlights a selection of the most important results.

SOUTH AFRICA
The Soweto derby on Saturday drew 87,463 spectators to Soccer City in Johannesburg to see Orlando Pirates crush their rivals Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 and move to the top of the Premiership standings with 12 games to play.
Goals from Tshepang Moremi, Oswin Appollis and Evidence Makgopa – all in contention to go with Bafana Bafana to the FIFA World Cup later this year – saw Pirates win for the sixth time in their last seven meetings against Chiefs.
They moved to 41 points from 18 games and lead champions Mamelodi Sundowns on goal difference. Sundowns won on Sunday at home at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, beating Sekhukhune United 3-1.
Chilean import Marcelo Allende opened the scoring, but Sekhukhune veteran Bradley Grobler equalised with 20 minutes to play. However, two late strikes from substitute Iqraam Rayners settled matters in the home side’s favour.
Sekhukhune remain third in the standings but are nine points adrift and have played one match more than the top two clubs.

TANZANIA
Young Africans have now gone seven derbies unbeaten against Simba, but after six wins in a row were fortunate to share the spoils in a goalless draw on Sunday. Yanga hosted their Dar es Salaam derby against Simba at the New Amaan Complex in Zanzibar because of renovations to the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in the Tanzanian capital ahead of the 2027 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals.
Mali international goalkeeper Djigui Diarra was voted man of the match as he kept out Simba’s attacks and ensured unbeaten Yanga advanced to 29 points from 11 matches, taking top place. Simba have 24 points and are third in the standings. In second place are JKT Tanzania with 28 points, but they have played 17 games.
The two Dar es Salaam giants are playing catch-up in domestic fixtures after both participated in the group phase of this season’s TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.

EGYPT
Zamalek have opened a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League after beating African champions Pyramids 1-0 at Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium on Sunday, with defender Hossam Abdelmaguid converting a second-half penalty.
Zamalek are up to 40 points, three ahead of Pyramids and defending champions Al Ahly, who drew 1-1 with ZED FC on Saturday. Zamalek were awarded a penalty after a foul by Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed El Shenawy on Nasser Mansi.
Al Ahly needed a late strike from Mahmoud Trezeguet to share the spoils at the Cairo International Stadium. ZED had taken a surprise 10th-minute lead when Mostafa Saad scored on the counterattack and they held onto it grimly until the last minute, when Trezeguet snapped up his chance to level the scores.

NIGERIA
Enugu Rangers are the new leaders in the NPFL after winning 2-0 at home over Nasarawa United on Sunday, leapfrogging Rivers United, who were beaten 1-0 at Bayelsa United at the same time.
Rangers’ goals were scored by Godwin Obaje and Chidiebere Nwobodo. They are now on 47 points, one more than Rivers United, with Ikorodu United a further point back and Nasarawa on 44 points.
With most clubs having 10 matches left to play this season, it sets up the potential for a thrilling finish to the campaign.

MAURITIUS
La Cure Waves opened up a four-point gap at the top of the National Super League after a 1-0 away win over AS Port Louis 2000 on Sunday. Waves have won 10 of their 12 league games this season and are comfortably ahead of second-placed Pamplemousses.