Premier Soccer League

Premier Soccer League (PSL) is the trading name of the National Soccer League (NSL) of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA. The next highest league is the National First Division.

The PSL is currently ranked 14th in Africa, according to CAF's 5-Year Ranking

History
The PSL was founded by Kaizer Motaung, Irvin Khoza, Raymond Hack and Jomo Sono, in 1996. Manning Rangers were the first to be crowned champions of the PSL in 1997 when the Gordon Igesund-coached side was stunning all and sundry by winning the title ahead of a number of more fancied opponents.

From 1998 to 2000 the league was dominated by Sundowns, who pulled off a hat-trick of titles.

In 2001, Igesund moved to Orlando Pirates and helped the Buccaneers secure the title. The following season he moved to Cape Town-based Santos, and steered it to win the league title, thus becoming the first coach to win the championship with three different clubs.

The 11 April 2001 marked a dark chapter in South African history when 43 people lost their lives and 158 others were injured in a stampede during a match between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs at an overcrowded Ellis Park Stadium.

The league was reduced from 18 to 16 teams after the end of the 2001-02 season to avoid fixture congestion, causing two teams, Ria Stars and Free State Stars, to be disbanded.

In 2004, a match-fixing scandal rocked South African soccer. An investigation codenamed "Operation Dribble" was launched by the South African police in June 2004. More than 40 arrests were made, ranging from club bosses to match commissioners, referees and their assistants.

Kazier Chiefs successfully defended their league title in 2005 after they won the prestigious trophy in 2004 for the first time in a decade.

The 2005-06 season saw Mamelodi Sundowns capturing the title for the fourth time.

In 2007, the PSL signed a television deal with SuperSport worth R1.6-billion. It is the biggest sporting deal in the history of South Africa, and it took the PSL into the top 15 ranked leagues in the world in terms of commercial broadcast deals.

In the same year ABSA replaced Castle Lager as name sponsor.

In 2008, 2009 and 2010 Supersport United won a hat-rick of title.

The league currently has teams in most of the countries largest cities, with Port Elizabeth being the obvious exception. The city has not had a team in the PSL since the 2008–09 Premier Soccer League, when the city's Bay United F.C. were relegated.

The league is rated as the 14th best in Africa in 2011. This is according to the CAF 5-Year Ranking system. The provisional 2012 rankings currently place them as slipping to 15th, below Niger.

Sponsorship
Since its inception in 1996, the Premier Soccer League has been sponsored. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:


 * 1996-07: Castle Lager (Castle Premiership)
 * 2007-: ABSA (ABSA Premiership)

Format
There are sixteen clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season (which lasts from August to May) each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents for a total of 30 games for each club. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a defeat.

The champion of the Premier League and the second placed team advance to the MTN CAF Champions League, the third placed team, and the Nedbank Cup champions, advance to the CAF Confederation Cup, which is the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.

The bottom team in the ABSA Premiership is automatically relegated. The team finishing 15th on the log enters a playoff with the loser of the promotion playoff between the winner of the Coastal Stream and the Inland Stream and the two teams who ended the season in second spot in the two streams.

Media coverage
The league's main broadcast partner is Super Sport. Supersport have in turn sub leased the rights to certain matches to the SABC, so that matches can be shown on public television.

Supersport broadcast matches on Wednesday and Friday nights, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays. The SABC broadcast Wednesday afternoon matches, as well as Saturday and Sunday matches.

Clubs

 * Ajax Cape Town
 * AmaZulu
 * Bidvest Wits
 * Black Leopards (newly promoted)
 * Bloemfontein Celtic
 * Free State Stars
 * Golden Arrows
 * Jomo Cosmos (newly promoted)
 * Kaizer Chiefs
 * Mamelodi Sundowns
 * Maritzburg United
 * Moroka Swallows
 * Orlando Pirates
 * Platinum Stars
 * Santos
 * Supersport United

League records

 * Most PSL titles: 5 – Mamelodi Sundowns (1997/98), (1998/99), (1999/00), (2005/06), (2006/07)
 * Biggest PSL win: 8-1 – Supersport United vs Zulu Royals (2003/04)
 * Most goals scored in a season: 73 – Kaizer Chiefs (1998/99)
 * Most goals conceded in a season: 85 – Mother City (1999/00)
 * Most points in a season: 75 – Mamelodi Sundowns (1999/00)

Notable Current Players
Footballers who currently play for PSL clubs, and have represented their country at senior international level:


 * 🇧🇼 Dipsy Selolwane (Supersport United)
 * 🇧🇷 Eduardo Ferreira (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * Francis Chansa (Mpumalanga Black Aces)
 * Félix Mwamba Musasa (Mpumalanga Black Aces)
 * 🇰🇪 Musa Otieno (Santos)
 * 🇱🇷 Anthony Laffor (Supersport United)
 * 🇲🇿 Almiro Lobo (Platinum Stars)
 * 🇲🇿 Domingues (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇲🇿 Elias Pelembe (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇳🇦 Sydney Plaatjies (Mpumalanga Black Aces)
 * 🇿🇦 Brian Baloyi (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Emile Baron (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇦 Matthew Booth (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Bradley Carnell (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇦 Lerato Chabangu (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Kermit Erasmus (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇦 Brett Evans (Ajax Cape Town)
 * 🇿🇦 Thembinkosi Fanteni (Ajax Cape Town)
 * 🇿🇦 Rowen Fernández (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇦 Stanton Fredericks (Wits)
 * 🇿🇦 Morgan Gould (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇦 Andile Jali (Orlando Pirates)
 * 🇿🇦 Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates)
 * 🇿🇦 Mabhuti Khenyeza (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Thanduyise Khuboni (Golden Arrows)
 * 🇿🇦 Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇦 Daine Klate (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇦 Lee Langeveldt (Santos)
 * 🇿🇦 Reneilwe Letsholonyane (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇦 Mbulelo Mabizela (Platinum Stars)
 * 🇿🇦 Calvin Marlin (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Innocent Mdledle (Orlando Pirates)


 * 🇿🇦 Benson Mhlongo (Orlando Pirates)
 * 🇿🇦 Teko Modise (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Surprise Moriri (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Sthembiso Ngcobo (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇦 Matthew Pattison  (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows)
 * 🇿🇦 Gert Schalkwyk (Orlando Pirates)
 * 🇿🇦 MacBeth Sibaya (Moroka Swallows)
 * 🇿🇦 Siphiwe Tshabalala (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇦 Benedict Vilakazi (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇦 Excellent Walaza (Vasco da Gama)
 * 🇿🇦 Sibusiso Zuma (Vasco da Gama)
 * 🇺🇬 Denis Onyango (Mpumalanga Black Aces)
 * 🇻🇪 José Torrealba (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇲 Isaac Chansa (Orlando Pirates)
 * 🇿🇲 Collins Mbesuma (Moroka Swallows)
 * 🇿🇲 Clifford Mulenga (Mpumalanga Black Aces)
 * 🇿🇲 Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars)
 * 🇿🇲 Kampamba Chintu (AmaZulu)
 * 🇿🇲 Noah Chivuta (Free State Stars)
 * 🇿🇲 Davies Nkausu (Supersport United)
 * 🇿🇼 Zhaimu Jambo (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇼 Tapuwa Kapini (Platinum Stars)
 * 🇿🇼 Oscar Machapa (Moroka Swallows)
 * 🇿🇼 Nyasha Mushekwi (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇼 Knowledge Musona (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇼 Method Mwanjali (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇼 Tinashe Nengomasha (Kaizer Chiefs)
 * 🇿🇼 Esrom Nyandoro (Mamelodi Sundowns)
 * 🇿🇼 Tafadzwa Rusike (Ajax Cape Town)
 * 🇿🇼 Thomas Sweswe (Kaizer Chiefs)

Current Products
Footballers who have previously played for PSL clubs, and currently play for clubs in other confederations. Players are currently at these teams.


 * 🇧🇮 Valery Nahayo (🇧🇪 Gent)
 * 🇨🇲 Eyong Enoh (🇳🇱 Ajax)
 * 🇬🇭 Mohammed-Awal Issah (🇷🇸 Red Star Belgrade)
 * 🇬🇭 Jonathan Mensah (🇪🇸 Granada), (currently on loan from Udinese)
 * 🇱🇻 Deniss Ivanovs (🇹🇷 Sivasspor)
 * 🇲🇼 Essau Kanyenda (🇷🇺 Rotor Volgograd), (currently on loan from FC KAMAZ)
 * 🇲🇼 Robin Ngalande (🇪🇸 Atlético Madrid)
 * 🇳🇬 Emmanuel Emenike (🇹🇷 Fenerbahçe)
 * 🇳🇬 Tico (🇶🇦 Al-Kharitiyath)
 * 🇸🇳 Mame Niang (🇳🇴 Kongsvinger)
 * 🇿🇦 Danleigh Borman (🇺🇸 New York Red Bulls)
 * 🇿🇦 Daylon Claasen (🇧🇪 Lierse)
 * 🇿🇦 Lance Davids (🇧🇪 Lierse)
 * 🇿🇦 Kagisho Dikgacoi (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Fulham)
 * 🇿🇦 Cheyne Fowler (🇫🇮 HJK Helsinki)
 * 🇿🇦 Bevan Fransman (🇮🇱 Hapoel Tel Aviv)
 * 🇿🇦 Siboniso Gaxa (🇧🇪 Lierse)
 * 🇿🇦 Bradley Grobler (🇹🇷 Göztepe)
 * 🇿🇦 Junaid Hartley (🇲🇾 Sarawak FA)
 * 🇿🇦 Waseem Isaacs (🇸🇰 MFK Zemplín Michalovce)
 * 🇿🇦 Calvin Kadi (🇵🇹 Portimonense), (currently on loan from Wits)


 * 🇿🇦 Bongani Khumalo (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tottenham Hotspur)
 * 🇿🇦 Jabu Mahlangu (🇸🇪 Östers IF)
 * 🇿🇦 Tsepo Masilela (🇮🇱 Maccabi Haifa)
 * 🇿🇦 Benni McCarthy (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 West Ham United)
 * 🇿🇦 Justin Miller (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chelmsford City)
 * 🇿🇦 Aaron Mokoena (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Portsmouth)
 * 🇿🇦 Kamohelo Mokotjo (🇳🇱 (Feyenoord)
 * 🇿🇦 Mpho Moloi (🇺🇸 Harrisburg City Islanders)
 * 🇿🇦 Bryce Moon (🇬🇷 Panathinaikos), (currently on loan at Golden Arrows)
 * 🇿🇦 Nasief Morris (🇨🇾 Apollon Limassol)
 * 🇿🇦 Anele Ngcongca (🇧🇪 Racing Genk)
 * 🇿🇦 Bernard Parker (🇬🇷 Panserraikos, (currently on loan from FC Twente)
 * 🇿🇦 Steven Pienaar (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tottenham Hotspur)
 * 🇿🇦 Patrick Phungwayo (🇬🇷 Panionios), (currently on loan from Wits)
 * 🇿🇦 Thulani Serero (🇳🇱 Ajax)
 * 🇺🇬 Brian Umony (🇺🇸 Portland Timbers), (currently on loan from University of Pretoria )
 * 🇿🇲 James Chamanga (🇨🇳 Dalian Shide)
 * 🇿🇲 Christopher Katongo (🇬🇷 Skoda Xanthi)
 * 🇿🇼 Onismor Bhasera (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Plymouth Argyle)
 * 🇿🇼 Benjani (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Blackburn Rovers)

Founder Members

 * AmaZulu
 * Bloemfontein Celtic
 * Cape Town Spurs
 * Hellenic
 * Jomo Cosmos
 * Kaizer Chiefs
 * Manning Rangers
 * Michau Warriors
 * Moroka Swallows


 * Orlando Pirates
 * QwaQwa Stars
 * Real Rovers
 * Mamelodi Sundowns
 * Supersport United
 * Umtata Bush Bucks
 * Vaal Professionals
 * Witbank Aces
 * Wits University