Orlando Pirates’ second place in the 2022/23 DStv Premiership season means they now hold outright the unwanted record for most runner-up finishes since the start of the Premier Soccer League 27 years ago.
Pirates had been level with their great Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs on six second place finishes before the campaign, but they have now moved ahead after Spanish coach Jose Riveiro guided them to runner-up.
Usually that would been seen as failure, but such has been the dominance of Mamelodi Sundowns in recent years that it was actually viewed as a triumph, bringing a return of CAF Champions League football to the club to go with the MTN8 and Nedbank Cup titles they won.
Pirates and Chiefs have each won the league on four occasions since 1996/97 to do with those runner-up places, meaning Pirates have been in the top two 11 times, a number bettered only by Sundowns (16).
Sundowns have in fact won the league 13 times and finished runner-up on three occasions.
Those three second place finishes is the next highest behind the Soweto duo alongside Ajax Cape Town, who make a return to the elite league next season, though now named Cape Town Spurs.
Ajax/Spurs have not yet claimed the league title, the closest they came being the 2010/11 season when they lost it on the final day after being held 2-2 at home by Maritzburg United.
Chiefs finished runners up in four of the first five DStv Premiership seasons, including the first three, in what appeared a cursed start to the new league competition.
Their latest silver medal was in 2019/20 when they lost out in the final 30 minutes of the season having been held 1-1 by Baroka FC.
Other teams with multiple runners-up medals are SuperSport United, who also did it in back-to-back seasons under Pitso Mosimane between 2001 and 2003, but later went on to win three championships in a row with Gavin Hunt in charge.
Silver Stars, who later became Platinum Stars, also had two runners-up finishes, the first with Owen da Gama (2006/07) and the second under Cavin Johnson (2012/13).
Four clubs have finished runners-up on a single occasion – AmaZulu (2020/21), BidVest Wits (2015/16), Cape Town City (2021/22) and Moroka Swallows (2011/12).
DSTV PREMIERSHIP RUNNERS-UP (AND POINTS BEHIND WINNERS)
1996/97 – Kaizer Chiefs (8)
1997/98 – Kaizer Chiefs (5)
1998/99 – Kaizer Chiefs (0)
1999/00 – Orlando Prates (11)
2000/01 – Kaizer Chiefs (1)
2001/02 – SuperSport United (5)
2002/03 – SuperSport United (6)
2003/04 – Ajax Cape Town (6)
2004/05 – Orlando Prates (2)
2005/06 – Orlando Prates (3)
2006/07 – Silver Stars (10)
2007/08 – Ajax Cape Town (2)
2008/09 – Orlando Prates (0)
2009/10 – Mamelodi Sundowns (1)
2010/11 – Ajax Cape Town (0)
2011/12 – Moroka Swallows (2)
2012/13 – Platinum Stars (1)
2013/14 – Kaizer Chiefs (2)
2014/15 – Mamelodi Sundowns (12)
2015/16 – BidVest Wits (14)
2016/17 – Mamelodi Sundowns (3)
2017/18 – Orlando Prates (5)
2018/19 – Orlando Prates (2)
2019/20 – Kaizer Chiefs (2)
2020/21 – AmaZulu (13)
2021/22 – Cape Town City (16)
2022/23 – Orlando Pirates (16)
MOST SECOND PLACE FINISHES
7 – Orlando Pirates
6 – Kaizer Chiefs
3 – Ajax Cape Town/Cape Town Spurs, Mamelodi Sundowns
2 – Silver Stars/Platinum Stars, SuperSport United
1 – AmaZulu, BidVest Wits, Cape Town City, Moroka Swallows