FEATURE: Five all-time top goal scorers in PSL history

In the history of the Premier Soccer League (PSL, which began in 1996/97), these five names are in an exclusive club of players which have surpassed 100 goals in league football.

SIYABONGA NOMVETHE – 123 GOALS

In a career which saw him play in South Africa, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and rack up over 80 caps for Bafana Bafana, it is fitting that Siyabonga Nomvethe hung up his boots (just under 18 months ago, at age 40) with a record of 123 league goals – the most in PSL history. He is best remembered for terrorising defences in the gold and black of Kaizer Chiefs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he also enjoyed significant goal-scoring success with Moroka Swallows and AmaZulu later in his storied career.

DANIEL MUDAU – 110 GOALS

A relentlessly brilliant goal scorer, Daniel Mudau netted 110 league goals in the PSL era and spent his entire professional career with Mamelodi Sundowns, helping the Tshwane club establish itself as the dominant force in South Africa in the mid-to-late 1990s. A superb all-round footballer, ‘Mambush’ was renowned for his razor-sharp finishing and efficiency in front of goal.

MABHUTI KHENYEZA – 110 GOALS

Recently appointed as the head coach of GladAfrica Championship club TS Galaxy, Mabhuti Khenyeza is a bona fide legend of PSL football. He retired from playing just over a year ago, at age 36, with his last club being AmaZulu. He also represented Golden Arrows, Kaizer Chiefs, Ajax Cape Town, Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Black Aces in a career which was nomadic but always prolific – he registered 110 league goals.

MANUEL BUCUANE – 104 GOALS

The first non South African to reach a tally of 100 goals in the PSL, Manuel ‘Tico-Tico’ Bucuane was a classy operator who did most of his damage while wearing the red of Jomo Cosmos – he had three spells at the club through the 1990s and 2000s. The Mozambican, who is a sporting icon in his country, also represented SuperSport United, Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United, and also racked up over 100 caps for the Mambas in his international career.

COLLINS MBESUMA – 103 GOALS

The second foreign player to reach a century of PSL goals was Zambian hit-man Collins Mbesuma. The burly striker has been a relatively consistent scorer through his career, but most remember him for an astonishing 2004/05 season in which he netted a record 35 goals across all competitions for Kaizer Chiefs. He moved overseas following that campaign but struggled to settle and returned to South Africa with Mamelodi Sundowns in 2008. He has gone on to feature for multiple clubs and is still playing professionally at the age of 36 with second-tier Pretoria University.