TAB WEEKEND SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS: 15 - 17 August
R24-MILLION SOCCER 13 HEADLINES A GREAT WEEKEND
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TAB WEEKEND SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS: 1 - 3 August
August 2025
NEW MONTH, NEW LEASE ON LIFE FOR TAB SOCCER BETS
August is here and from this weekend TAB soccer pools take on a new lease of life with the quarter-final round of the 2025-26 MTN8, long the traditional opening act of a new football season locally. All four MTN8 matches are included in TAB soccer pools on Saturday and Sunday, plus you will find games from the top leagues in Austria, Belgium, Scotland and Switzerland, as well as England's League and Two. The menu is suddenly much more enticing and there are numerous chances to land big wins, especially in cash-added Soccer 10 pools tonight and tomorrow.
LOTS OF CHANGES BUT EXPECT PIRATES TO TRIUMPH
Orlando Pirates last season became the first club to win three successive MTN8 titles and at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto tomorrow they begin their quest to win it four years running.
They are pitted against Polokwane City in the first of the MTN8 quarter-final clashes and what everybody is waiting to see is whether the Buccaneers are as good as they were last season.
José Riveiro took Pirates to a new level and three MTN8 titles in a row, plus two Nedbank Cups, but the Spanish coach has moved on to Al Ahly and former Morocco international Abdeslam Ouaddou in now in the hot seat at the Soweto club.
The ex-Fulham centre-back's appointment to the helm of Pirates came as something of a surprise. The 46-year-old was in charge of Marumo Gallants for only a few months and did not have an outstanding record with the Bloemfontein-based team.
And on top of a new coach Pirates have a new captain and 11 new players, while former captain Innocent Maela, Monnapule Saleng and young attacker Mohau Nkota, who sealed a move to Saudi side Al Ettifaq, have left.
Pirates' new signings include Bafana Bafana regular Oswin Appollis from Polokwane City, Sinoxolo Kwayiba and midfield strongman Sihle Nduli from Stellenbosch.
Obviously it's going to take a few games for Pirates to gel, but there's no shortage of talent and they should be too sharp for Polokwane. Banker them to win in tomorrow's R100,000-added Soccer 10, as well as Rangers away to Motherwell in M10 in the pool.
HOME WINS ON THE CARDS IN OTHER QUARTER-FINALS
Later in the day Sekhukhune United are at home to TS Galaxy in the second of the quarters-finals and they should have the edge in a competitive contest. They have also brought plenty in several new players and a new coach in Eric Tinkler.
On Sunday Stellenbosch at home should be too good for AmaZulu, who they beat 5-0 away in Durban last season and then at home towards the end of the campaign.
The final MTN8 clash of the weekend sees Sundowns at home to Richards Bay, a game many will expect the reigning PSL champs to win comfortably. But Sundowns have only been back at training for just over a week after the exertions of the Club World Cup in the USA - so if you are looking for a surprise result, add the draw in your Soccer 10 perms.
R100,000-ADDED SOCCER 10 POOLS MATCH BY MATCH
Fri 1 Aug – S10 V1
| M1 | LASK Linz vs Sturm Graz | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| The first game of the new season in the Austrian Bundesliga kicks off this R100,000-added bet. LASK have won five of their last eight games, while Sturm Graz are unbeaten in their last eight. Sturm Graz won the last clash with LASK 4-2, their eighth win in the last 15 encounters of which three were drawn. | |||
| M2 | Schalke 04 vs Hertha Berlin | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Opening match of 2025-26 German second division. Schalke have lost six of their last 10 games, while Hertha have won four of their last six friendlies. Schalke won the last meeting 2-1 in March, but both teams have won six times in the last 15 meetings. | |||
| M3 | Bohemians vs Drogheda United | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Irish Premier Division. Bohemians are unbeaten in their last six games and are second, four points ahead of Drogheda, who have won their last two. Honours are pretty much even in the last 15 clashes between the two sides. | |||
| M4 | Kerry FC vs Athlone Town | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Kerry have lost nine of their last 10 games in all competitions, while Athlone are winless in their last 10. Kerry won the last meeting between them 2-1 in a cup fixture recently and are four points ahead of Athlone in the Irish First Division table. | |||
| M5 | KV Mechelen vs Club Brugge | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Belgian premier league. Mechelen are unbeaten in their last 10 games, while Brugge are unbeaten in their last seven. In the last 15 meetings, Brugge have won nine times and Mechelen just once. | |||
| M6 | Wexford FC vs Finn Harps | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Wexford are winless in their last four games, while Harps are unbeaten in five of their last six. They drew 1-1 in their last meeting and Wexford are sixth and three points ahead of Harps in the First Division log. | |||
| M7 | Luton Town vs AFC Wimbledon | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Start of England’s League One in the new season. Luton, relegated again last season, have won three of four friendlies while Wimbledon have lost three of four. | |||
| M8 | CA Belgrano vs CA Independiente | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Cup clash in Argentina. Belgrano have avoided defeat in seven of their last eight games in all competitions, while Independiente have lost their last two. In the last 15 meetings Belgrano have won five times to Independiente’s seven. | |||
| M9 | Los Angeles FC vs Pachuca | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Leagues Cup clash. LA have won three of their last five MLS games, while Pachuca are on a three-match winning streak in Mexico’s Liga MX. They have not played each other before. | |||
| M10 | Tigres UANL vs San Diego FC | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Another Leagues Cup clash. Tigres are on a two-game winning streak in Liga MX, while San Diego have won six of their last nine MLS matches. First clash between them. | |||
Suggested R144 perm: 3 x 1,2,3 x 1,2 x 1,2 x 3 x 1,2 x 1 x 1,2,3 x 1 x 3.
Sat 2 Aug S10 V2
| M1 | Orlando Pirates vs Polokwane City | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Another R100,000-added pool. Opening game in the 2025-26 MTN8. Pirates are unbeaten in their last three games, while Polokwane are winless in their last six. Pirates won the last meeting between them 1-0 in April this year, their seventh win in the last 15 meetings of which eight were drawn. | |||
| M2 | Brommapojkarna vs IFK Norrkoping | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Both are struggling with poor recent form, having lost or drawn the majority of their last 10 Allsvenskan fixtures in Sweden. They last met about a month ago with Brommapojkarna winning 1-0 away. They are level on 19 points in the table. | |||
| M3 | Kilmarnock vs Livingston | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Opening round of the new Scottish Premiership season. Kilmarnock are unbeaten in their last six games, while newly-promoted Livingston have won seven of their last 10. Kilmarnock won 1-0 when they met recently in the League Cup. | |||
| M4 | Westerlo vs Zulte-Waregem | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Belgian First Division A. Westerlo have lost four of their last seven matches, while newly-promoted Waregem are winless in their last four. The teams last met two years ago, drawing 1-1. | |||
| M5 | FC Winterthur vs Young Boys | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Swiss Super League. Winterthur are unbeaten in their last six games, while Young Boys have avoided defeat in seven of their last eight. In the last 15 meetings, Winterthur have won once to Young Boys’ nine. | |||
| M6 | Sarpsborg 08 vs Brann | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Sarpsborg lost last time but had three wins and two draws in five games before that, while Brann have lost twice running. The last meeting between them ended 2-2. Brann are fifth in Norway’s Eliteserien with 30 points, eight more than eighth-placed Sarpsborg who have played a game less. | |||
| M7 | Sekhukhune United vs TS Galaxy FC | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| MTN8. Sekhukhune are winless in their last three games, while Galaxy are winless in their last six. The teams drew 1-1 earlier this year and in their last nine meetings over four years, Galaxy have won three times with five draws. | |||
| M8 | Servette FC vs FC St. Gallen | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Servette have won seven of their last 10 games, while St. Gallen have been unable to win in eight of their last 10. St. Gallen won the last clash with Servette 1-0 in April, their fifth win over the last 15 meetings to four by their rivals. | |||
| M9 | Standard Liege vs FCV Dender EH | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Liege are unbeaten in their last six games, while Dender are winless in their last five. The last meeting between them ended 0-0, but Liege had won six of seven before that. | |||
| M10 | Motherwell vs Rangers FC | ||
| Team A Wins | Draw | Team B Wins | |
| Scottish Premiership. Both are unbeaten in their last six games. Motherwell beat Rangers 2-1 away in their last meeting, but 14 previous clashes over four years yielded nine wins by Rangers with four draws. | |||
Suggested R64 perm: 1 x 1 x 1 x 1,2 x 2,3 x 1,2 x 1,2 x 1,2 x 1 x 1.
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