Sekhukhune United maintained the pressure at the top of the Betway Premiership table with a 1-0 win over Magesi at the Seshego Stadium in Polokwane on Wednesday.
Babina Noko ended 2025 on a high note despite being without striker Bradley Grobler, moving into third place on the log with their second win against their Limpopo rivals in three league meetings.
Goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner replaced Toaster Nsabata for his fifth start of the season and notched his fourth clean sheet.
Sekhukhune have claimed their seventh win in 13 league games, amassing 25 points.
They sit one point behind Mamelodi Sundowns and three points behind leaders Orlando Pirates.
FULL TIME
— Sekhukhune United F.C. (@SekhukhuneFc) December 3, 2025
Babina Noko takes the lead in tonight's derby.
A well deserved win🏆
MAGESI FC0⃣vs1⃣ SEKHUKHUNE FC
🦔🦔🦔
# Adibahlabe
# BetwayPrem
# #LastGame2025 pic.twitter.com/fCt2rJroXt
Magesi fell to 15th on the table and are just two points ahead of bottom-placed Chippa United.
Dikwena tša Meetse have managed only two wins in the league this season and have 11 points to show for it, with only two clean sheets for goalkeeper Elvis Chipezeze in 14 games.
Vusumizi Mncube gave the visitors an early lead, netting in the sixth minute.
Reagan Van der Ross could not control the high ball in midfield, losing it to Ellis Rammala who drove forward.
His cross looking for Samkhele Sihlali was punched by Chipezeze into the path of Mncube, who found the back of the net with ease.
Sekhukhune nearly doubled their lead in the 15th minute from a long freekick which bounced off two Magesi defenders in their own box and towards Sihlali, whose effort was fired over the bar.
Bright Ndlovu lost the ball at the back in the 16th minute and brought down Edmore Chirambadare in a dangerous area.
However, the referee judged the foul to have happened just outside the area, much to the protest of Babina Noko.
Edmore Chirambadare’s cross nearly caught Leaner off his line in the 20th minute but landed on the roof of the net.
Thabang Sibanyoni’s long-range effort was saved by Leaner and quickly cleared by Ndlovu in the 27th minute.
Magesi nearly pulled level from their first corner of the game in the 32nd minute. Chirambadare’s ball in was nearly steered home by Sibanyoni, but he could not get enough on the ball and a follow-up curler was saved by Leaner.
Sihlali’s first league start of the season was cut short as he was replaced by Tresor Tshibwabwa in the 44th minute.
HANDBALL SHOUTS IN VAIN
In stoppage time, Sibanyoni found himself on the other end of a long ball in the Sekhukhune box but was denied a shot by Letlapa, who stepped in before Sibanyoni could pull the trigger with a brilliant tackle.
In the 63rd minute, Chirambadare fired a rocket towards goal from the rebound of a corner, forcing Leaner into action once again.
Magesi came close to an equaliser in the 68th minute as Lehlegonolo Mokone’s glancing header from the left side of the six-yard box was blocked by Letlapa, much to Magesi coach John Maduka’s dismay.
In the 80th minute, Magesi’s handball shouts landed on deaf ears as Tshepo Mokoena’s clearance hit his own hand.
Chirambadare’s ball back in looking for bodies in the box was dealt with by Daniel Cardoso.
Sekhukhune nearly doubled their lead in the 84th minute, on the back of Letlapa’s cross, but Shaune Mogaila scuffed his effort in front of goal to miss an opportunity to put the game to bed.
Both sides will return to action in late January 2026 after the Africa Cup of Nations which takes place in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January.
Magesi 0
Sekhukhune United (1) 1 (Mncube 6’)
Magesi: E. Chipezeze, J. Mokone, L. Mokone, D. Mofokeng, T. Mashigo, K. Mariba, T. Masegela, K. Mosadi (K. Muvhango 88’), E. Chirambadare, R. Van der Ross (C. Napier 62’), T. Sibanyoni (B. Baloyi 76’)
Sekhukhune United: R. Leaner, B. Ndlovu, V. Letlapa, S. Mkhize, D. Cardoso, V. Mncube, E. Rammala (L. Mntambo 60’), S. Mogaila, T. Monare (M. Timm 76’), S. Sihlali (T. Tshibwabwa 44’), K. Makgalwa (T. Mokoane 76’)