Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro holds a four-goal lead in the race to become the 2024/2025 South African Premiership Golden Boot winner after scoring 13 times for leaders Mamelodi Sundowns.
The 26-year-old forward has made such impact in his second season at the Pretoria club that there have been calls for him to be granted citizenship and play for South Africa.
Ribeiro moved to South Africa in 2023 from Belgian outfit Beveren and also tops the scorers' chart covering all domestic competitions this season with 14.
His closest challengers in the Premiership race are Sundowns teammate South African Iqraam Rayners with nine and Belgium-born Dzenan Zajmovic, who has notched eight for TS Galaxy.
The 2023/2024 Golden Boot winner, Tshegofatso Mabasa of Orlando Pirates, has often restricted to second-half appearances as a substitute this season and netted just five times.
Here, AFP Sport presents five facts about the league that has attracted stars from many African countries, and also South America and Europe.
PERFECT SUNDOWNS
Sundowns are the only club boasting a perfect home record, scoring 29 goals and conceding just three when winning all 10 matches.
Away from their Pretoria base, the record 14-time champions have suffered one-goal losses to closest rivals Orlando Pirates and top-half clubs TS Galaxy and Polokwane City.
CLOSE RACE
For the third straight season, Sundowns main rivals for the league title are Soweto-based Orlando Pirates, one of the oldest South African clubs having been formed in 1937.
Unlike the past two seasons, when Sundowns won by 23 and 16 points respectively, the gap is set to be closer this time with the title-holders nine points ahead having played two more games.
LOWLY CHIEFS
The hoped-for impact of new coach Nasreddine Nabi at Kaizer Chiefs has failed to materialise so far with the club ninth heading into the final rounds with only eight wins from 23 matches.
Chiefs have won a record 53 domestic competitions since being formed 55 years ago, but none under numerous coaches since being crowned 2015 Premiership champions.
CAPE DECLINE
Cape Town City came second in the 2021/2022 Premiership to secure a place in the CAF Champions League, the most lucrative and prestigious African club competition.
Now, after sacking coaches Eric Tinkler and Turk Muhsin Ertugral this season, they are hoping caretaker boss Diogo Peral can plot an escape route, but he has just four matches to do so.
SUPERSPORT STRUGGLE
Triple former champions SuperSport United are battling this season, lying last having won just three of 10 home matches and only two on the road.
They share with second-last Cape Town City the record for the least goals with 13 each. After 22 league matches, leading SuperSport scorer Bradley Grobler has netted just three times.