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EspañolPREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE
'Premier Soccer League' is the trading name of the 'National Soccer League (NSL)' of South Africa, also known by its initials ('PSL'). The PSL's is divided into two leagues. The top league is the 'Castle Premiership', sponsored by Castle Lager. The next highest league is the Mvela Golden League, sponsored by business magnate Tokyo Sexwale's Mvelaphanda Group.
The current CEO of the PSL is Englishman Trevor Phillips. He will be replaced with Kjetil Siem at the end of the 2006/2007 season.
The winner receives R2.6 million - making it the richest league on the continent [1].
History
The PSL was founded by Kaizer Motaung, Irvin Khoza, Raymond Hack and Jomo Sono, in 1996.
Manning Rangers, now playing in the Mvela League, 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.
Main articles: Ellis Park Stadium disaster
The league was reduced from 18 to 16 teams after the end of the 2001/2002 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.
Kaizer Chiefs successfully defended their league title in 2005 after they won the prestigious trophy in 2004 for the first time in a decade.
The 2005/2006 season saw Mamelodi Sundowns capturing the title for the fourth time.
The PSL has helped raise the standard of club soccer in South Africa, providing the sport with better media coverage and much-improved revenue through strong sponsorship deals. Sponsors include renowned brands like SABC, SAA, Vodacom, Telkom and Coca-Cola. It has also provided a platform for local players to make their mark and catch the eye of overseas clubs.
In February 2007, the much-awaited launch of a Reserve League pilot project took place. The football fraternity, including newly-appointed Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira had been calling for a Reserve league to strengthen domestic structures ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Norwegian Kjetil Siem will be the league's new CEO after Trevor Phillips announced his retirement from the post after numerous years.
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 ABSA Cup champions, advance to the CAF Confederation Cup, which is the African equivalent of the UEFA Cup.
The bottom team in the Castle Premiership is automatically relegated, and the team finishing second-last competes in the ''Mvela Platinum play-offs'' with the teams finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Mvela Golden League.
Until 2004, the First Division was divided into the Coastal Stream and the Inland Stream (geographically representing coastal and inland teams respectively), with the winner of each being promoted to the Premiership. Since 2004, however, the First Division has become national.
Logos
old logo -2003; current logo 2003-; 10th anniversary logo 2006; Castle Premiership logo
2006/2007 season
2006/2007 Premier Soccer League teams
| 'Ajax Cape Town' ''Urban Warriors'' | 'AmaZulu' ''Usuthu'' | 'Benoni Premier United' ''The Rabbits'' | 'Bidvest Wits' ''The Students'' | 'Black Leopards' ''Lidoda Duvha'' | 'Bloemfontein Celtic' ''Phunya Sele Sele'' |
| 'Golden Arrows' ''Abafana Bes'thende'' | 'Jomo Cosmos' ''Ezenkosi'' | 'Kaizer Chiefs' ''Amakhosi'' | 'Mamelodi Sundowns' ''The Brazilians'' | 'Maritzburg United' ''The Team of Choice'' |
| 'Moroka Swallows' ''The Birds'' | 'Orlando Pirates' ''The Buccaneers'' | 'Santos' ''The People's Team'' | 'Silver Stars' ''The Lions of the North'' | 'Supersport United' ''Matsatsantsa'' |
The two teams relegated to the Mvela Golden League after the 2005/2006 season were Free State Stars and Bush Bucks.
Dynamos lost their Premiership status after being purchased by Durban-based AmaZulu (Zulu Royals).
Team locations
League table
''for updated standings visit PSL.co.za''
★ PSL table
Top goalscorers
''Last updated April 21, 2007''
| Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Katongo | Jomo Cosmos | 15 |
| Kaizer Motaung Jnr | Kaizer Chiefs | 12 |
| Erwin Isaacs | Santos | 11 |
| Surprise Moriri | Mamelodi Sundowns | 10 |
| Thembinkosi Fanteni | Ajax Cape Town | 10 |
★ Note: Chris Katongo joined Brondby IF of Denmark during the January transfer window
PSL managers
Replaced managers
''Last updated April 21, 2007''
Past seasons
2005-06 season
Main articles: PSL 2005-06
2006-07 season
Main articles: PSL 2006-07
Past Winners
| Season | Winner | Remarks | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | Manning Rangers | First Premier Soccer League winners | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 1997–98 | Mamelodi Sundowns | Kaizer Chiefs | |
| 1998–99 | Mamelodi Sundowns | Won the league on goal difference | Kaizer Chiefs |
| 1999–00 | Mamelodi Sundowns | Orlando Pirates | |
| 2000-01 | Orlando Pirates | Kaizer Chiefs | |
| 2001-02 | Santos | Coach Gordon Igesund won the title for the 3rd time with different clubs | Supersport United |
| 2002-03 | Orlando Pirates | Supersport United | |
| 2003-04 | Kaizer Chiefs | First league title since 1992 | Ajax Cape Town |
| 2004-05 | Kaizer Chiefs | KC's Zambian hitman Collins Mbesuma scored a record breaking 25 league goals | Orlando Pirates |
| 2005-06 | Mamelodi Sundowns | Sundowns won the title after a final day showdown with Pirates | Orlando Pirates |
| 2006-07 | Mamelodi Sundowns | Silver Stars |
'Most titles:'
★ 5 Sundowns (1998-2000,2006-2007)
★ 2 Kaizer Chiefs (2004,2005)
★ 2 Orlando Pirates (2001,2003)
All time (96-06) PSL records by clubs
| Rank (by Points) | Club [1] | Seasons | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points | PPG | Rank (by PPG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaizer Chiefs | 10 (1996/97-2005/06) | 324 | 163 | 109 | 52 | 598 | 1.846 | 1 |
| 2 | Orlando Pirates | 10 (1996/97-2005/06) | 324 | 161 | 105 | 58 | 588 | 1.815 | 2 |
| 3 | Mamelodi Sundowns | 10 (1996/97-2005/06) | 324 | 161 | 88 | 75 | 571 | 1.762 | 3 |
| 4 | Supersport United | 10 (1996/97-2005/06) | 324 | 123 | 107 | 94 | 476 | 1.469 | 4 |
| 5 | Moroka Swallows | 10 (1996/97-2005/06) | 324 | 118 | 94 | 112 | 448 | 1.383 | 6 |
| 6 | Jomo Cosmos | 10 (1996/97-2005/06) | 324 | 111 | 110 | 103 | 443 | 1.367 | 9 |
| 7 | Manning Rangers | 9 (1996/97-2004/05) | 294 | 114 | 73 | 107 | 415 | 1.412 | 5 |
| 8 | Bidvest Wits | 9 (1996/97-2004/05) | 294 | 99 | 104 | 91 | 401 | 1.364 | 10 |
| 9 | Santos | 9 (1997/98-2005/06) | 290 | 99 | 91 | 100 | 388 | 1.338 | 11 |
| 10 | Bush Bucks | 9 (1996/97-2004/05) | 294 | 97 | 78 | 119 | 369 | 1.255 | 15 |
| 11 | Ajax Cape Town | 8 (1998/99-2005/06) | 256 | 96 | 64 | 96 | 352 | 1.375 | 8 |
| 12 | Hellenic | 8 (1996/97-2003/04) | 264 | 79 | 75 | 110 | 312 | 1.182 | 18 |
| 13 | Free State Stars | 7 (1996/97-2001/02,2005/06) | 234 | 74 | 80 | 80 | 302 | 1.291 | 13 |
| 14 | Bloemfontein Celtic | 7 (1996/97-2000/01,2004/05-2005/06) | 230 | 75 | 57 | 98 | 282 | 1.226 | 16 |
| 15 | Golden Arrows | 6 (2000/01-2005/06) | 188 | 62 | 62 | 64 | 248 | 1.319 | 12 |
| 16 | AmaZulu | 7 (1996/97-99/00,2001/02,03/04,05/06) | 230 | 54 | 66 | 110 | 228 | 0.991 | 23 |
| 17 | Black Leopards | 5 (2001/02-2005/06) | 154 | 49 | 41 | 64 | 188 | 1.221 | 17 |
| 18 | Mother City | 4 (1996/97-1999/00) | 136 | 40 | 34 | 62 | 154 | 1.132 | 19 |
| 19 | Dynamos | 4 (1998/99,2002/03-2004/05) | 124 | 29 | 39 | 56 | 126 | 1.016 | 20 |
| 20 | Silver Stars | 3 (2003/04-2005/06) | 90 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 116 | 1.289 | 14 |
| 21 | African Wanderers | 4 (1997/98,1999/00-2000/01,2002/03) | 132 | 28 | 30 | 74 | 114 | 0.864 | 27 |
| 22 | Tembisa Classic | 3 (1999/00-2001/02) | 102 | 24 | 30 | 48 | 102 | 1.000 | 21 |
| 23 | Vaal Professionals | 3 (1996/97-1998/99) | 102 | 23 | 26 | 53 | 95 | 0.931 | 26 |
| 24 | Ria Stars | 2 (2000/01-2001/02) | 68 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 94 | 1.382 | 7 |
| 25 | Real Rovers | 2 (1996/97-1997/98) | 68 | 16 | 19 | 33 | 67 | 0.985 | 24 |
| 26 | Michau Warriors | 1 (1996/97) | 34 | 9 | 6 | 19 | 33 | 0.971 | 25 |
| 27 | Maritzburg United | 1 (2005/06) | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 30 | 1.000 | 22 |
| 28 | Witbank Aces | 1 (1996/97) | 34 | 4 | 7 | 23 | 19 | 0.559 | 28 |
Top goalscorers
★ Youngest player to score a goal in PSL history:
Thulani Ngcepe, Moroka Swallows : 16 years, 359 days (January 14, 2007) [2].
Notable current players
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Bidvest Wits)
★ (Cosmos)
★ (Ajax CT)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Pirates)
★ (AmaZulu)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (AmaZulu)
★ (Supersport)
★ (Jomo Cosmos)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Swallows)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Pirates)
★ (Santos)
★ (Bidvest Wits)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Pirates)
★ (Ajax CT)
★ (Moroka Swallows)
★ (Moroka Swallows)
Notable former players
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Cosmos)
★ (Cosmos)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Rangers)
★ † (Pirates)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Seven Stars)
★ (Cosmos)
★ (Santos)
★ † (Sundowns)
★ (Sundowns)
★ (Bush Bucks)
★ (Rangers)
★ (Cosmos)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Ajax CT)
★ (Chiefs)
★ (Pirates)
★ Note: Some players have played for more than one team
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
Executive Committee
Irvin Khoza (chairman)
Kaizer Motaung
Mato Madlala
Natasha Tsichlas
John Comitis
David Thidiela
Goolam Allie
Stanley Matthews
See also
★ SAA Supa 8
★ Telkom Knockout
★ ABSA Cup
★ Mvela Golden League
★ PSL Reserve League
External links
★ Premier Soccer League (PSL) Official Website
★ South African Football Association (SAFA) Official Website
★ Confederation of African Football (CAF) Official Website
★ RSSSF competition history
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