The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has started what is set to be one of the most competitive seasons to date. The M&G assesses the clubs and what the fans can expect.
SuperSport United (2007/08 Champions)
With no sort of pressure from fans or management on coaches when the team is not doing well, the Matsatsana a Pitori is the team to watch this season. With Daine Klate and Fikru Tefera having played the way they did in the semifinal second leg of the MTN 8 against Sundowns last week, they can successfully defend their league title.
Ajax Cape Town
Craig Roslee’s young team started well last season but stumbled towards the end. Having crashed out in the quarterfinals of the MTN 8 with two players, Nhlanhla Shabalala along with Nhlanhla Kubheka, being shown red cards, one wonders if it’s a sign of good or bad things to come. Shabalala’s red card was reversed after it was proven that the player guilty of the infringement had been Franklin Cale, who will sit the next two matches out.
Santos
Not much should be read into Santos’ poor early season form. Santos coach David Bright turned things around at the club midway through last season and will again hope to pick up where he left off and challenge for the league honours again. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Santos finish third on the log again. Watch out for Tyren Arendse, who has returned from Sundowns.
Mamelodi Sundowns
Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe splashed out during the off-season and signed 13 players. Of the new signings only Benedict Vilakazi, Siboniso Gaxa, Katlego Mphela and Sibusiso Zuma will feature in the starting line-up because they didn’t come cheap; it is only about 15 matches before Ted Dumitru takes over from Trott Moloto.
Free State Stars
Stars have made their intentions clear this season by hiring former Orlando Pirates coach Owen da Gama. Though Stars finished fifth last season, their football display was not entertaining, something which Da Gama will be looking to change.
Kaizer Chiefs
Gert Schalkwyk and Jose Torrealba’s brilliant running off the ball and creating opportunities raise the question: Can they sustain it throughout the season? It will also be interesting to see who will wear the number one jersey after Emile Baron’s great saves in the MTN 8 matches.
Moroka Swallows
Lefa Tsutsulupa, who has taken over the captain’s armband from Goodman Mazibuko, will play a major role in the Swallows set-up this season. His accurate passing, hard work, striking of the ball and ability to read a match can help Swallows succeed.
Orlando Pirates
The arrival of hard-working and skilful former Santos midfielder Thembile Kanono could see Teko Modise watching most matches from the sidelines if he does not move to Greece as speculated. Modise, who only seems to play his best football for Bafana Bafana, will have to work harder if he wants game time.
Golden Arrows
Though Arrows have never won the league title, few teams compete in terms of the passing and entertaining football they play. As usual, they should cause a few upsets but struggle to make the first-eight bracket.
Platinum Stars
They have a penchant for starting well, only to fade as the season progresses. If they keep up this tradition, they will find themselves fighting to avoid relegation. Lack of depth could be costly.
Bloemfontein Celtic
Celtic owe their loyal and vociferous supporters a season they can be proud of. At least they should make the top eight to pay this debt. Celtic’s players will have to stop treating the big matches — those they play at the large Vodacom Stadium instead of Seisa Ramabodu or Rocklands this season — as though they are the only ones that matter.
BidVest Wits
Wits are unpredictable. In one season they can be challenging for the league title and the next they can be fighting relegation. They will have to avoid the inconsistency that sometimes sees them top of the table in the first half of the season only to find themselves at the bottom in the second half.
AmaZulu
After avoiding relegation in two successive seasons and being relegated in the 2006/07 season, Usuthu, like Celtic, owe their faithful fans. They need to depend less on strikers Dumisani Ngwenya and Siyabonga Mkhwanazi, who saved their team from a possible drop last season.
Thanda Royal Zulu
The team should have been relegated last season. The players showed no commitment in most of the matches they played. Coming into the season with the same coach, Roger Palmgren, who failed to lift the players’ morale, the team could again find themselves languishing at the bottom of the log unless there are huge improvements in how they do things.
Maritzburg United
Despite their having appointed Gordon Igesund, who won four league titles with four different teams, some will still fancy them to be fighting against relegation. New players such as Lucky Maselesele and Junior Khanye don’t seem to be the kind of material needed to instil fear in the opposition. Their decision to part ways with coach Ian Palmer, who had brought the side to the PSL, might come back to haunt them.
Bay United
The unknown package and the only side from the Eastern Cape might find the going in the top flight difficult. For them, the new season should be about hanging on to their new-found status. Anything extra will be a bonus.