Absa Premiership 2008/09
Sport	Football (soccer)
Country	South Africa
CEO	Kjetil Siem
Founded	1996
Founder/s	Kaizer Motaung, Irvin Khoza, Raymond Hack, Jomo Sono
Inaugural season	1996-97
No. of teams	16 teams
Most Championships	Mamelodi Sundowns 5 titles
Defending Champions	SuperSport United (2007 - 2008)
Current Champions	SuperSport United (2008 - 2009)
TV partner(s)	Supersport & SABC1
Official website	www.PSL.co.za

The 2008–09 Premier Soccer League season (known as the ABSA Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the thirteenth since its establishment. Supersport United were the defending champions, having won their first Premier Soccer League title on the final day of the previous season. The campaign began in August 2008, ended in May 2009. A total of 16 teams contested in the league, 14 of which contested in the 2007-08 season, and two of which were have been promoted from the National First Division.

[edit] Season Summary

Supersport United defended their title to win their second consecutive Premiership title. Orlando Pirates came close to taking the title in the final game. Both teams were tied at the top of the points table with 55 points each. Supersport United had a greater goal difference with 23 goals over Orlando Pirates's 17 goals.

Bay United were relegated to the National League after finishing at the bottom of the table on 21 points. Thanda Royal Zulu will go into a playoff with teams from the National League to determain if they will retain their place in the PSL or be relegated to the National League after ending 15th on the league table with 33 points.

Bloemfontein Celtic survived relegation on goal difference, ending 14th on the league table with 33 points. They were tied with Thanda Royal Zulu, but their goal difference were greater than that of Thanda Royal Zulu.

[edit] Clubs

[edit] Promotion and relegation

[edit] Pre-Season

Teams promoted from 2007-08 National First Division

• Champions (Coastal Stream): Maritzburg United
• Play-offs: Bay United

Teams relegated to 2008-09 National First Division

• Last on PSL: Black Leopards
• Play-offs: Jomo Cosmos

[edit] Post-Season

• Champions of the Inland Stream Jomo Cosmos took on Champions of the Costal Stream Carara Kicks in a two leg playoff for promotion to the Premier Division.
• The first leg of the play-off saw the match end in a goalless draw at the Charles Mopeli Stadium on the 7 May 2009.
• The second leg of the play-off saw Jomo Cosmos win Carara Kicks 2 - 1 at Vaal Technikon on the 10 May 2009 to see Jomo Cosmos promoted to the Premier Division.
• Thanda Royal Zulu who finished 15th on the Premier Division table will go into a mini play-off tournament with Carara Kicks (who lost their play-off match with Jomo Cosmos), Mpumalanga Black Aces (who finished second in the Inland Stream) and F.C. Cape Town (who finished second in the Costal Sream).
• Carara Kicks will face Mpumalanga Black Aces and Thanda Royal Zulu will face F.C. Cape Town ^[1]

Teams promoted from 2008-09 National First Division

• Champions (Inland Stream) Jomo Cosmos
• Play-offs: Mpumalanga Black Aces

Teams relegated to 2009-10 National First Division

• Last on PSL: Bay United
• Play-offs: Thanda Royal Zulu

[edit] League table

Updated 10 May 2009:^[2]

[edit] Points Breakdown

• Three points for a win
• One point for a draw

[edit] Table Notes

• P = Played
• W = Won
• D = Drawn
• L = Lost
• GF = Goal For
• GA = Goal Against
• GD = Goal Difference (GF - GA)
• Pts = Total Points

[edit] Results

Source: Premier Soccer League
¹The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

[edit] PSL Awards

Teko Modise was the biggest winner at the annual Premier Soccer League awards dinner on the 24 May 2009 at Gold Reef City Casino, pocketing a whopping R400 000 after he was named Footballer of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

It was the second time that the Orlando Pirates midfielder bagged the coveted Footballer of the Year honour, following his controversial win last season. This time, however, Modise's brilliance from the unusual left of midfield position helped Pirates mount a championship bid.

Lucas Thwala, who earlier this month was named Pirates' Player of the Season ahead of Modise, was named the Premiership Player of the Year.

Ajax Cape Town's Franklin Cale won the award for the Telkom Knockout Player of the Tournament. ^[3]

[edit] Stats

[edit] PSL managers

Manager	Club	Appointed
Craig Rosslee	Ajax Cape Town	July 2007
Clive Barker	AmaZulu	July 2007
Khabo Zondo	Bay United	November 2008
Roger De Sa	Bidvest Wits	June 2007
Owen Da Gama	Bloemfontein Celtic
Steve Komphela	Free State Stars
Manqoba Mngqithi	Golden Arrows	January 2007
Fani Madida	Kaizer Chiefs	May 2009
Ted Dumitru	Mamelodi Sundowns	March 2009
Gordon Igesund	Maritzburg United	July 2008
Júlio César Leal	Moroka Swallows	July 2008
Ruud Krol	Orlando Pirates	July 2008
David Bright	Santos	January 2008
Miguel Gamondi	Platinum Stars	December 2007
Gavin Hunt	Supersport United	June 2007
Roger Palmgren	Thanda Royal Zulu	August 2007

[edit] Kits 2008-2009

[edit] Dec 2008/Jan 2009 Transfere Window

[edit] References

1. ^ "Promotion playoffs draw". http://www.psl.co.za/article.asp?id=298572. Retrieved 2009-05-11. 
2. ^ "Absa Premiership". http://www.psl.co.za/log.asp?id=794. Retrieved 2009-05-10. 
3. ^ http://www.psl.co.za/article.asp?id=301340 2009 Premier Soccer League Awards

[edit] External links

• Premier Soccer League (PSL) Official Website
• RSSSF competition overview

v • d • e South African soccer seasons Domestic Competitions ABSA Premiership • National First Division  • Vodacom League  • Nedbank Cup  • Telkom Charity Cup  • MTN 8  • Telkom Knockout  • Vodacom Challenge Premiership Teams Ajax Cape Town  • AmaZulu  • Bay United  • Bidvest Wits  • Bloemfontein Celtic  • Free State Stars  • Golden Arrows  • Kaizer Chiefs  • Mamelodi Sundowns  • Maritzburg United  • Moroka Swallows  • Orlando Pirates  • Platinum Stars  • Santos  • Supersport United  • Thanda Royal Zulu First Division Teams African Warriors  • Black Leopards  • Carara Kicks  • Durban Stars  • Dynamos  • FC AK  • FC Cape Town  • Hanover Park  • Ikapa Sporting  • Jomo Cosmos  • Mpumalanga Black Aces  • Nathi Lions  • Pretoria University  • Vasco Da Gama  • Winners Park  • Witbank Spurs ABSA Premiership Seasons 1996-97  • 1997-98  • 1998-99  • 1999-00  • 2000-01  • 2001-02  • 2002-03  • 2003-04  • 2004-05  • 2005-06  • 2006-07  • 2007-08  • 2008-09  • 2009-10 First Division Seasons 1997-98  • 1998-99  • 1999-00  • 2000-01  • 2001-02  • 2002-03  • 2003-04  • 2004-05  • 2005-06  • 2006-07  • 2007-08  • 2008-09  • 2009-10 Nedbank Cup 1971  • 1972  • 1973  • 1974  • 1975  • 1976  • 1977  • 1978  • 1979  • 1980  • 1981  • 1982  • 1983  • 1984  • 1985  • 1986  • 1987  • 1988  • 1989  • 1990  • 1991  • 1992  • 1993  • 1994  • 1995  • 1996  • 1998  • 1999  • 2000  • 2001  • 2003  • 2004  • 2005  • 2006  • 2007  • 2008  • 2009 Telkom Charity Cup 1999  • 2000  • 2001  • 2002  • 2003  • 2004  • 2005  • 2006  • 2007  • 2008  • 2009 MTN 8 1972  • 1973  • 1974  • 1975  • 1976  • 1977  • 1978  • 1979  • 1980  • 1981  • 1982  • 1983  • 1984  • 1985  • 1986  • 1987  • 1988  • 1989  • 1990  • 1991  • 1992  • 1993  • 1994  • 1995  • 1996  • 2000  • 2001  • 2003  • 2004  • 2005  • 2006  • 2007  • 2008  • 2009 Telkom Knockout 1992  • 1993  • 1994  • 1995  • 1996  • 1997  • 1998  • 1999  • 2000  • 2001  • 2003  • 2004  • 2005  • 2006  • 2007  • 2008  • 2009 Vodacom Challenge 1999  • 2000  • 2001  • 2003  • 2004  • 2005  • 2006  • 2007  • 2008  • 2009