The 2024/25 Betway Premiership season gets under way on September 14 as the other 15 topflight clubs seek to topple champions Mamelodi Sundowns in their quest for an unprecedented eighth consecutive domestic title. Catch all the 240 games live on SuperSport.
SuperSport.com brings you the A-Z of the campaign ahead of kick-off!
A – For the second season running, AmaZulu recorded the most draws in the Betway Premiership last season with 12 out of their 30 games. That means in the last two campaigns they have drawn 29 of 60 matches, a shade below 50 per cent.
B – There will be no mid-season break in the coming campaign, which is unusual for recent years. The final games of 2024 are on December 29 and the first of 2025 on January 3, a gap of only four days. Gone are the days of Christmas and New Years rest for players.
C – Lucas Ribeiro Costa was top-scorer for Mamelodi Sundowns in the league, eclipsing even the great Peter Shalulile. Who will win the race to be leading scorer at Chloorkop?
D - There were 68 goalless draws in the 2023/24 season. Let’s hope for less in this campaign, we want to see wins!
E – Eric Tinkler has undertaken a rebuild at Cape Town City with no less than 11 new faces through the door. The side looked like they would be challenging for second place last season but fell away badly in the second half of the campaign. A squad refresh was needed.
F – Early season form will be crucial for many sides as they look to build momentum quickly. This is perhaps most important at the foot of the table, where a bad start can mean a season of struggle. Conversely, positive results at the beginning of the campaign can work as a tonic.
G – There were 488 goals scored across the 240 games in the Betway Premiership last season, not quite the lowest on record, but close. The all-time low is the 479 that were scored in 2021/22.
H – Gavin Hunt continues to extend his record as the coach with the most games under his belt in the Premier Soccer League era. This will be a 27th successive season coaching in the Premiership and will see him move to 1000 games as a coach in the top flight.
I – Mamelodi Sundowns missed out on an ‘Invincibles’ season in the last campaign when they lost to Cape Town City on the final day. Can they become the first South African topflight clubs to achieve the feat in 2024/25?
J – Jose Riveiro starts his third season with Orlando Pirates, not many ex-Buccaneers coaches have got this far. He has won four cups and led the side to the Champions League in both his seasons, but the ultimate prize remains the league.
K – Kaizer Chiefs finished in a harrowing 10th place for their fans in the league last season after winning only nine of their 30 games. They have now turned to new coach Nasreddine Nabi to turn around their fortunes and while there is no quick fix, they have made some interesting signings in this transfer window.
L – Lehlohonolo Seema is back in charge at Sekhukhune United, a club who have been through several coaches in recent times. He has his work cut out with a campaign in the CAF Confederation Cup as well.
M – Can Mamelodi Sundowns go eight in a row? They have been growing their dominance in terms of wins and points with each passing season, so it would take a real drop-off in form for anyone else to come close.
N – Nasreddine Nabi has emerged as the big hope at Naturena and all eyes will be on the Tunisian coach to see if he can make the side competitive again. His has done well elsewhere on the continent, but the South African league is a tough environment, as many top coaches have found out in the past.
O – Orlando Pirates have finished runners-up in the last two seasons, but in the previous campaign were a full 23 points behind champions Mamelodi Sundowns. Can they close that gap, or even overhaul the Brazilians? They have to believe they can, but it is a tall order.
P – Polokwane City had the fewest goals scored last season with 21 in 30 games, but still managed a top eight place! They were involved in eight 0-0 draws. They will want to sharpen their attack this season.
Q – Royal AM are still under a Fifa suspension and have been unable to sign players, begging the big question of whether this will be another campaign of toil. Their squad is in desperate need of a shake-up, while they have also lost Menzi Masuku and Shaune Mogaila, adding to coach John Maduka’s problems.
R – Richards Bay have battled badly in the last two seasons and only survived in the last campaign via the PSL’s promotion/Relegation Play-Offs. But with a new sponsor, plenty of fresh signings and coach Brandon Truter now in charge, can they push for a top half finish?
S - Stellenbosch FC continued their rapid growth as a club with a best-ever third-place finish last season. They have lost some key players, but can they go one better and get at least second, which they only missed out on via goal-difference in the previous campaign.
T – Tshegofatso Mabasa won the Golden Boot last season with 16 strikes, six in the colours of Moroak Swallows and 10 with Orlando Pirates. Will he top the charts again? Don’t rule it out.
U – It is scary to think that all 15 DStv Premiership sides will go into this season as the underdogs against Mamelodi Sundowns, such is the dominance of the Tshwane side, who have only strengthened since the last campaign!
V – Mamelodi Sundowns managed 22 victories in the last campaign, which matched the record for a 30-game season they set in 2015/16. They had the all-time top mark of 23 in their sights but a draw and defeat in their final two games ended those hopes. Pirates and Stellenbosch FC both had 14 wins, the next highest.
W – Cape Town City had the fewest wins last season with six and were not surprisingly relegated. Conventional wisdom suggested you need around eight to have a chance of staying up, which proved the case in 2023/24.
X – With defences tight and scoring at a premium, x-factor players with the ability to conjure a magic moment from nothing have become ever more important.
Y – Mamelodi Sundowns’ Yellow Nation has been growing steadily in recent years and these days they can pack out a stadium for big matches. They must adjust to life without Rulani Mokwena, and will hope to be celebrating again come the end of the campaign.
Z – Zakhele Lepasa fell out of favour at Orlando Pirates last season and will be desperate to win his place back, to also help his national team chances.