Mamelodi Sundowns players Lucas Ribeiro and Peter Shalulile and Themba Zwane celebrate Whether Mamelodi Sundowns will be again to continue their domination of the league this season remains to be seen. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
As the new Betway Premiership season begins on Saturday, the pressure will be on a number of teams and chief among them will be defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns.
Sundowns won the league title for the seventh time in a row last season, but since then have parted ways with coach Rulani Mokwena.
Manqoba Mngqithi has since been appointed as the head coach and he will be assisted by Steve Komphela, Romain Folz, Wendell Robinson and Kennedy Mweene as part of his technical team.
Orlando Pirates will be one of the favourites to challenge for the league title after finishing second last term. In fact, it was the second season in a row that the Buccaneers finished second and would be looking to pounce if Sundowns’ domination has finally come to an end.
𝐊![CDATA[]]>𝐮![CDATA[]]>𝐝![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐥![CDATA[]]>𝐚 𝐋![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐬![CDATA[]]>𝐞![CDATA[]]>𝐠![CDATA[]]>𝐚![CDATA[]]>𝐳![CDATA[]]>𝐢![CDATA[]]>𝐧![CDATA[]]>𝐢 🤩
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) September 11, 2024
As we enter a new era in the PSL, ALL 2️⃣4️⃣0️⃣ matches of the #BetwayPrem will be LIVE on SuperSport 📺 pic.twitter.com/CZNgXbaUKT
While many will hope that Kaizer Chiefs can mount a challenge for the title, that seems unlikely after they finished 10th last season. They also have a new coach in Nasreddine Nabi. The new skip has also pleaded for patience while the team go through a rebuilding phase.
Another top contender will be Stellenbosch FC. The Cape Winelands outfit were pipped to second place by Pirates on the table, finishing one spot behind the Soweto Giants only through goal difference as both clubs finished on 50 points.
Sekhukhune United and Cape Town City finished fourth and fifth respectively, also tied on the same number of points but separated only on goal difference.
TS Galaxy seemingly punched above their weight with a sixth place finish, again finishing ahead of the team below in seventh — SuperSport United — only by goal difference.
Polokwane City rounded out the top eight, finishing in the lucrative eighth position which saw them qualify for the MTN8. Whether they can keep up that form this season, remains to be seen.
Golden Arrows missed out on the top eight by finishing ninth, and while the mid-table finish was commendable it’s always a goal of theirs to ensure they aren’t involved in the relegation scrap.
AmaZulu FC were the 11th place finishers, and will be quick to remind the public that they finished on the same point-tally as the ‘mighty’ Chiefs.
Meanwhile, Chippa United (12th) and Royal AM (13th) would have been relieved to finish above the bottom three as they look to improve this season.
Richards Bay finished 15th last season, but managed to come through the relegation/promotion playoffs with their top-tier status still intact. After their experiences last season, they will be desperately seeking to finish above the bottom three.
Magesi FC and Marumo Gallants are the newly-promoted outfits, both of which will be hoping to keep up their rising trajectories.