Motsepe Foundation Championship | 17 October 2026
Orbit College’s difficult return to the Motsepe Foundation Championship continued as they were beaten 2-0 by Upington City at the Mxolisi Dicky Jacobs Stadium. Palelo Mafuyeka put the Northern Cape hosts in front inside the opening ten minutes, and Daweron van Rhyn made the points safe with a second-half strike. The defeat kept the Rustenburg side searching for their first league win of the campaign, a week on from a 2-2 home draw with Highbury. For a club that spent last season fighting for promotion, the slow start is a concern that will need addressing quickly before the gap at the foot of the table widens.
An Early Hole To Climb Out Of
Conceding inside the first ten minutes has become a recurring theme for Orbit, and Mafuyeka’s ninth-minute opener once again forced them to chase the game on the road. Upington, organised and comfortable at home, were content to defend their lead and pick their moments. Orbit pushed for a way back into the contest but lacked the cutting edge to trouble the hosts consistently, and the game slipped further from them when Van Rhyn struck in the 71st minute to double the advantage. Two goals down away from home, the visitors could not find the response their situation demanded.
Promotion Ambitions On Hold
Only a season ago Orbit College were among the sides pushing for a place in the top flight, and the expectation around the club was of another competitive campaign. Instead, the early weeks have delivered draws and defeats rather than wins, and the pressure is beginning to mount. The Championship is an unforgiving division where early points dropped are hard to recover, and Orbit now need a reaction. The platform remains, but it rests on turning tight, winnable matches into victories rather than near-misses.
Final word
There is no need for panic just yet, but there is a clear need for urgency. Orbit College have the pedigree and the personnel to climb the table, and a single win could quickly change the mood around the squad. What they cannot afford is to let this winless sequence harden into a habit. The coming fixtures offer a chance to reset, and the Rustenburg faithful will be hoping the first three points of the season are not far away.
