PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE

PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE - South Africa's top soccer league, featuring the country's best 16 clubs, came into being in 1997. The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has helped raise the standard of club football in South Africa, providing the sport with better media coverage and much-improved revenue through strong sponsorship deals. It has also provided a platform for local players to make their mark and catch the eye of overseas clubs.

Sponsorship boom
In June 2007, the PSL pulled off an astounding coup when it signed a R1.6-billion broadcast deal with SuperSport International.

In August 2007, corporate heavyweights South African Breweries (SAB) and Absa Bank announced a joint sponsorship of more than R500-million over the next five years for South African football. SAB is behind Bafana Bafana, while Absa sponsors the PSL's Premier Division.
In February 2008, Nedbank announced that it would be putting up R20-million in prize money for the Nedbank Cup knockout competition as part of a five-year, R400-million sponsorship of the local game.

And in August 2008, cellular giant MTN committed the same amount - R400-million over five years - to the local game, while taking over the title sponsorship of the Top 8 knockout tournament.

These deals combined have made South Africa's Premier Soccer League the seventh biggest earner of sponsorship revenue among football leagues worldwide.

Ups and downs
Manning Rangers, coached by Gordon Igesund, stunned all and sundry by winning the inaugural PSL title ahead of a number of more fancied opponents in 1997. Then, from 1998 to 2000, Mamelodi Sundowns 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 repeated the trick with Cape Town-based Santos.
Pirates won the league for the second time in 2003, followed by arch-rivals Kaizer Chiefs in 2004 and 2005.

In 2006, Igesund was appointed manager of Sundowns and was quickly spinning his magic once more, winning a fifth title for "The Brazilians" and becoming the first coach to win the championship with four different clubs.

That didn't prevent Igesund from getting the sack in February 2008, however, following a poor run of results. When it comes to passionate fans, high stakes and heated debates, South Africa's Premier Soccer League is up there with the best of them!

In May 2008, SuperSport's support of the game, through both television broadcasting and sponsorship, was rewarded when SuperSport United captured the PSL title for the first time.

Premier Soccer League champions:
2007/08: SuperSport United
2006/07: Mamelodi Sundowns
2005/06: Mamelodi Sundowns
2004/05: Kaizer Chiefs
2003/04: Kaizer Chiefs
2002/03: Orlando Pirates
2001/02: Santos
2000/01: Orlando Pirates
1999/00: Mamelodi Sundowns
1998/99: Mamelodi Sundowns
1997/98: Mamelodi Sundowns
1996/97: Manning Rangers

FIRST DIVISION
Below the Premier Soccer League, South African football's First Division is divided into two - the Inland Stream and the Coastal Stream - with each stream made up of eight clubs.
At the end of each season, the winners of the two streams meet in a final, with a place in the Premier Soccer League at stake (replacing the team that finished last in the PSL). The second-placed team, however, still has a shot at making it into the PSL.

That club takes on the two second-placed finishers from the First Division, as well as the team that finished second-last in the PSL, in a mini-tournament, with the winner earning a place in the top league.

by Brad Morgan
READ MORE: Soccer in South Africa
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