The DStv Premiership – what you need to know

The new campaign that gets underway on Friday, August 4 will mark the fourth season that DStv sponsor the league

Here is Supersport.com special look at the three preceding seasons and the landmarks set.

2020-21

Champions: Mamelodi Sundowns became the first club to win four successive league titles as they finished 13 points clear of second placed AmaZulu in thew first post-Pirso Mosimane season.

Relegated: Black Leopards were four points adrift at the bottom of the table and after three seasons in the top flight went down automatically to the National First Division. Chippa United, who finished second from bottom, survived the post-season promotion-relegation playoffs.

Top scorer: Bradley Grobler, at the age of 33, finished as top scorer for the first time netting 16 goals in the DStv Premiership for SuperSport United, and ending one goal ahead of Sundowns’ Peter Shalulile in the race for the Golden Boot.

Player of the Season: Shalulile did the double to win both the PSL Footballer of the Season and the DStv Premiership Player’s Player of the Season awards, beating teammate Themba Zwane and Maritzburg United’s Thabiso Kutumela for the two awards.

Coach of the year: Benni McCarthy arrived at AmaZulu with the club in bottom place but by the end of the campaign took them to second spot for their best finish in a half century.

Unbeaten: Sundowns went through the league season unbeaten on the road with 10 wins and five draws in their 15 away games. But they lost once at home when Kaizer Chiefs beat them 2-1.

Hattricks: There were four in the league in the season:

Lebogang Maboe – Mamelodi Sundowns v Black Leopards

Lebogang Manyama – Kaizer Chiefs v Lamontville Golden Arrows

Bienvenu Eva Nga – Chippa United v Maritzburg United

Themba Zwane - Mamelodi Sundowns v AmaZulu

2021-22

Champions: Sundowns won an unprecedented fifth title with their 16-point winning margin the biggest in Premier Soccer League history, beating the 14 they won the title by in the 2015-16 campaign.

Relegated: Baroka’s five season stay in the top flight ended as they finished last but second-from-bottom Swallows managed to hang onto their status as coach Dylan Kerr helped navigate them successfully through the end-of-season promotion-relegation playoffs.

Top scorer: Shalulile’s total of 23 goals was the most by a season’s top league scorer since the 25 that Zambian marksman Collins Mbesuma netted for Chiefs in the 2005-2006.

Player of the Season: For the second year running, Shalulile won both the PSL Footballer of the Season and DStv Premiership Player's Player of the Season awards, confirming his status.

Coach of the year: Rulani Mokwena and Manqoba Mngqithi took the award as the best coaches after Sundowns’ runaway success with little other options for the judges but to hand the pair the prize.

Unbeaten: AmaZulu were closest to going through the entire home season without a loss, but were defeated 2-1 in their final game on their own patch by Lamontville Golden Arrows. The same was true for Sundowns, who lost their final home game to Stellenbosch 3-0.

Hattricks: There were two in the league in the season:

Peter Shalulile – Mamelodi Sundowns v Lamontville Golden Arrows

Peter Shalulile – Mamelodi Sundowns v Swallows FC

2022-23

Champions: Sundowns romped again to the title, winning it with seven games to spare and in the process setting yet another record for themselves. Their 16-point winning margin over Pirates matched their record from the previous season.

Relegated: Two sides dropped down from the top flight for the first time since DStv began their sponsor with bottom placed Marumo Gallants automatically going down, which contrasting with their reaching the African Confederation Cup semifinal, and Maritzburg United being pipped in the promotion-relegation playoffs by Cape Town Spurs.

Top scorer: Sundowns’ Shalulile and Khanyisa Mayo from Cape Town City were top scorers in the league with 12 goals each. That is the third lowest total ever for a Golden Boot winner.

Player of the Season: Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena was crowned PSL Footballer of the Season and Orlando Pirates forward Monnapule Saleng chosen as the DStv Premiership Players’ Player of the Season.

Coach of the Year: Rulani Mokwena had been appointed solo head coach of Sundowns in October and won his first 16 games in charge to verify the confidence put in him.

Unbeaten: SuperSport United were the only side to go through the season unbeaten at home (W10 D5). They are the eighth club to achieve that in PSL history.

Hattricks: There were three in the league in the season:

Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana – Kaizer Chiefs v Stellenbosch FC (all penalties)

Monnapule Saleng – Orlando Pirates v Swallows FC

Ranga Chivaviro – Marumo Gallants v Chippa United