TAB WEEKEND SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS: 14 – 16 AUGUST 2026
ARSENAL-MANCHESTER CITY CLASH HEADLINES WEEKEND
Sunday’s Community Shield clash in Cardiff between English Premier League (EPL) winners Arsenal and FA Cup victors Manchester City headlines a big weekend that is laden with opportunities for TAB football customers to win bags of cash. The match also signifies that the 2026-27 season is about to kick into top gear with the EPL set to start a week later as is traditionally the case.
BONUS TAB ADD-INS OF R500,000 TO THREE POOLS
There are two R200,000-added Soccer 10 pools this weekend and a R100,000-added Soccer 6 on Saturday that comprises five local Betway Premiership games and a first-round game from the popular English Championship, which kicks off the 2026-27 season with a clash between Wolves, demoted from the EPL last season, and Blackburn Rovers on Friday night.
In addition, there’s a guaranteed R16-million pot in the event of only one outright winner of Saturday’s Soccer 13.
Blackburn had a pretty miserable time of things in the Championship last term, eventually finishing 20th of 24 and only a handful of points above the relegation zone. Wolves on the other hand will find the going a lot easier in the Championship than was the case in the EPL last season, when they lived in the relegation zone from day one.
They have lost Joao Gomes to Aston Villa, but will be strengthened by the arrival of players like vastly experienced Kieran Trippier. They will hope to quickly regain EPL status and look a banker bet to start the season with a home victory over Blackburn.
PENALTIES MAY DECIDE SHIELD WINNER
Sunday’s Community Shield could well be decided by penalties, which has been the case in five of the last seven editions. For the record City have won the last two encounters against Arsenal, but that’s of little account here because the Pep Guardiola era is over.
Former Guardiola deputy and later Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be at the helm of City for the first time and will be hoping that club-record signing Elliot Andersen will fill the huge gap left by the departure of Bernardo Silva. Guardiola is a tough act to follow and that Rodri is sidelined again will not help Maresca’s cause. That said he left little doubt about his ability as a manager when winning the Club World Cup with Chelsea.
Saturday’s big clash sees Kaizer Chiefs pitted against Sundowns, winners of the African Champions League trophy last season.
Sundowns had eight players at the World Cup and they have had little rest since being thrust back into action. How big a factor that will prove will only become evident as the season progresses, but so far so good for them.
Chiefs on the other hand crashed at the first hurdle in the MTN8, but put that defeat behind them when beating Sekhukhune midweek. They would like nothing better than to put Sundowns to the sword at Soccer City and it has the makings of an entertaining clash, but one that will probably end in defeat for Chiefs.
MATCH PREVIEWS R200,000-ADDED SOCCER 10 POOLS
Fri 14 Aug – S10 V2
M1 Stellenbosch vs Marumo Gallants: With a R200,000 bonus add-in, get set for a total pool of over R2 million. Stellenbosch lost first game of new season, but drew 3-3 with Polokwane in second match. Gallants winless in last 10 and drew 0-0 with newly promoted Kruger United in first game of new season on Tuesday. Last meeting between these two sides ended 0-0. In 15 previous meetings Stellenbosch five wins and Gallants six.
M2 Heracles vs Den Bosch: Heracles were demoted to the Dutch Eerste Divisie at end of last season and won first league match of new season. Den Bosch unbeaten in last four and drew first league game of new term.
M3 Roda JC vs Helmond Sport: Roda JC have lost two consecutive games including first league game of new season. Helmond winless in eight of last 10 and drew opening league game. Last meeting ended 1-1 in March.
M4 Telstar vs Sparta Rotterdam: Telstar won first Eredivisie fixture of new season 2-1; Rotterdam winless in four games and lost opening league game. Rotterdam won last meeting 1-0 in July but that was a friendly.
M5 FC Annecy vs Rodez AF: Annecy unbeaten in last three games and Rodez have won seven of last 10. Both won their opening games of the new French Ligue 2 season. Rodez won last meeting between the two 2-1 away in May.
M6 Cercle Brugge vs Sint-Truiden: Brugge winless in last five games and Sint-Truiden in last four. Both drew their opening league games of the new season in Belgium. Sint-Truiden won last meeting between them 2-1.
M7 Nancy vs Montpellier: Nancy unbeaten in last nine games and Montpellier in last three. Montpellier won last meeting 3-0 away in March.
M8 Reims vs Dunkerque: Reims unbeaten in last four games, Dunkerque unbeaten in last three. Both drew opening games of new season in Ligue 2. Last meeting ended 1-1.
M9 Saint-Etienne vs Clermont Foot: Saint-Etienne on a three-game winning streak and won first league game of new season. Clermont winless in last four and drew opening match. Saint-Etienne won last meeting 1-0 in January.
M10 Wolverhampton vs Blackburn Rovers: Wolves on a three-game winning streak after being relegated from English Premier League (EPL) last term and Blackburn unbeaten in last three. Both play first Championship game of new season.
Sat 15 Aug – S10 V1
M1 AmaZulu vs Siwelele FC: Half the matches in this R200,000-added bet are Betway Premiership clashes so you can bank on a big pool. AmaZulu unbeaten in seven of last 10 PSL games and won their first match of new season before drawing with Pirates midweek. Siwelele have started the season with a draw and then a defeat to newly promoted Milford midweek. Teams drew 1-1 in last meeting in April.
M2 Kaizer Chiefs vs Mamelodi Sundowns: Chiefs were knocked out of the MTN8 last weekend but bounced back to beat Sekhukhune midweek. Sundowns unbeaten in eight of last 10 and progressed to MTN8 semis last weekend after an extra-time win over Polokwane. Last meeting between them ended 1-1 in May.
M3 Aberdeen vs Dundee FC: Last-16 clash in Scottish League Cup. Aberdeen have won six of last seven games and Dundee five of last nine. Separated by only two points in Scottish Premiership last season. Close game.
M4 Dunfermline vs Ross County: Ross County unbeaten in last nine games, Dunfermline in last five. Last meeting ended 2-2 but Ross County have won seven of last 15 meetings to Dunfermline’s three.
M5 Sekhukhune United vs Polokwane City: Sekhukhune’s four-game winning streak came to an end midweek. Polokwane winless in seven of last eight, although they took Sundowns into extra time in a MTN8 clash last weekend. Sekhukhune won last meeting 1-0 away in July but that was a friendly.
M6 Konyaspor vs Caykur Rizespor: Konyaspor have lost six of last nine games. Rizespor won last two friendlies and beat Konyaspor 3-2 in their last meeting.
M7 Utrecht vs AZ Alkmaar: Utrecht have lost five of last seven games, whereas AZ have won three straight. Utrecht beat AZ 2-0 in March in last meeting, but lost their first game of the new Eredivisie season, whereas AZ beat Den Haag 2-0.
M8 Sheffield United vs Birmingham City: English Championship. Sheffield unbeaten in last seven games, Birmingham unbeaten in last four. Last meeting ended 1-1 in March. Only four points separated then last season. Hard to call.
M9 Durban City vs Richards Bay: City winless in last seven games but only lost to Pirates late in extra time in MTN8 clash last weekend before drawing midweek. Richards Bay winless in last seven PSL fixtures. City won last meeting 1-0.
M10 Milford vs Kruger United: Both gained promotion to the PSL last season and now face each other for the first time in the top-flight. Kruger won last meeting 1-0 back in March.