Premier Soccer League

Countries	South Africa
Confederation	CAF
Founded	1996
Number of teams	16
Relegation to	National First Division
Level on pyramid	Level 1
Domestic cup(s)	MTN 8 Telkom Knockout Nedbank Cup
International cup(s)	Champions League Confederation Cup
Current champions	Supersport United (2008–09)
Most championships	Mamelodi Sundowns FC (5)
Website	www.psl.co.za www.absapremiership.com
Premier Soccer League 2009–10

Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League (NSL) of South Africa, also known by its initials (PSL). The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA. The next highest league is the National First Division which is divided into two regional streams.

The current CEO of the PSL is Norwegian Kjetil Siem who succeeded Englishman Trevor Phillips after the 2006-07 season. The PSL's headquarters are located in Parktown, Johannesburg.

[edit] 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.

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 2005-06 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 and 2009, Supersport United won back to back league titles.

[edit] 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:

• 1996–2007: Castle Lager (Castle Premiership)
• 2007–: ABSA (ABSA Premiership)

[edit] 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.

[edit] 2009-10 season

[edit] Clubs

• Ajax Cape Town
• AmaZulu
• Bidvest Wits
• Bloemfontein Celtic
• Free State Stars
• Golden Arrows
• Jomo Cosmos
• Kaizer Chiefs
• Mamelodi Sundowns
• Maritzburg United
• Moroka Swallows
• Mpumalanga Black Aces
• Orlando Pirates
• Platinum Stars
• Santos
• Supersport United

[edit] Standings

for updated standings visit PSL.co.za

• PSL table

[edit] Past winners

[edit] League records

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

[edit] Top goalscorers

[edit] Notable current players

Lists of "famous" or "notable" sports persons with no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria should be avoided. Such lists should be removed or replaced with verifiable lists of players recognized by the club, league, or another reliable source and be properly referenced.

• Andre Arendse (Supersport)
• Jorge Acuña (Sundowns)
• Shaun Bartlett (Celtic)
• Matthew Booth (Sundowns)
• Lance Davids (Supersport)
• Kagiso Dikgacoi (Arrows)
• Eduardo Ferreira (Ajax CT)
• Moeneeb Josephs (Pirates)
• Mabhuti Khanyeza (Ajax CT)
• Itumeleng Khune (Chiefs)
• Daine Klate (Supersport)
• Mbulelo Mabizela (Platinum Stars)
• Collins Mbesuma (Sundowns)
• Jabu Mahlangu (Platinum Stars)
• Teko Modise (Pirates)
• Surprise Moriri (Sundowns)
• Kaizer Motaung Junior (Chiefs)
• Katlego Mphela (Sundowns)
• Gilbert Mushangazhike (Pirates)
• Peter Ndlovu (Thanda)
• Tinashe Nengomasha (Chiefs)
• Esrom Nyandoro (Sundowns)
• Musa Otieno (Santos)
• Elias Pelembe (Supersport)
• José Torrealba (Chiefs)
• Benedict Vilakazi (Sundowns)
• Sibusiso Zuma (Sundowns)

[edit] Notable former players

• Bradley Carnell (Chiefs)
• Raphael Chukwu (Sundowns)
• Eyong Enoh (Ajax CT)
• Rowen Fernandez (Chiefs)
• Mark Fish (Pirates)
• Roger Feutmba (Sundowns)
• Esau Kanyenda (Cosmos)
• Chris Katongo (Cosmos)
• Doctor Khumalo (Chiefs)
• George Koumantarakis (Rangers)
• Lesley Manyathela† (Pirates)
• Phil Masinga (Sundowns)
• Benni McCarthy (Seven Stars)
• Aaron Mokoena (Cosmos)
• Bryce Moon (Ajax CT)
• Nasief Morris (Santos)
• John Moshoeu (Chiefs)
• Sizwe Motaung† (Sundowns)
• Daniel Mudau (Sundowns)
• Wilfred Mugeyi (Bush Bucks)
• Benjani Mwaruwari (Cosmos)
• Pollen Ndlanya (Chiefs)
• Mame Niang (Swallows)
• Onyekachi Okonkwo (Pirates)
• Siyabonga Nkosi (Chiefs)
• Siyabonga Nomvete (Chiefs)
• Bernard Parker (Thanda)
• Steven Pienaar (Ajax CT)
• Lucas Radebe (Chiefs)
• Neil Tovey (Chiefs)

• Note: Some players have played for more than one team

[edit] Founder Members

[edit] Executive committee

[edit] Media coverage

• Super Sport (live)

[edit] See also

• MTN 8
• Telkom Knockout
• Nedbank Cup
• National First Division
• Vodacom League

[edit] 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