PSL Fixtures: The start of a new era

It has been a very long wait for South Africans everywhere, but this weekend the Premier Soccer League is back on our TV screens. The opening weekend has some mouth watering encounters must watch matches. 

TOP 4

Last season ended with Mamelodi Sundowns top of the league with 73 points, 22 wins, 7 draws and 1 loss. That loss would come on the final day of the season as Mamelodi Sundowns fall short of going their entire season as invincibles. Rhulani Mokwena would end the season as the PSL's Coach of the season and his team would go on to collect accolades themselves. They broke numerous records and are expected to continue their dominance this season.

With the new leadership of Manqoba Manqoba Mngqithi, Steve Komphela and Romain Folz coming in to replace Rhulani Mokwena. There has been mixed expectations from fans, some feel that Sundowns will not reach the heights they reached last season and others believe that Sundowns can emulate what they accomplished last season. The Fanbase has been further split since Stellenbosch knocked Mamelodi Sundowns out of the MTN 8 with a win away and at home for Stellies. Regardless of how they have started the season, they are still odds on Favourites to win this seasons Premier Soccer League title.

Orlando Pirates who finished in second were caught in a final weekend show down with Stellenbosch FC. As both teams were competing to secure a second place finish and qualify for the CAF Champions League. In the end, a draw on the final day was enough to secure Orlando Pirates a Second Place finish on goal difference. This season, they have made into the finals of the MTN 8 already and they will be expected to win it for a third time in a row.

Stellenbosch FC are Mzansi's most promising side, Despite finishing behind Orlando Pirates last season. They have been making strides to greatness this season. They secured a win against Mamelodi Sundowns home and away in the MTN8 . They also breezed through the qualification rounds of the CAF Confederations Cup. They looking like title contenders this season, do not underestimate this side.

Sekhukhune United are one of South Africa's most promising teams. They should be counted amongst the best the country has to offer, because they are excellent performers in the league. Last season, they managed to finish the season in fourth, level on points with Cape Town City. They manage this feat, despite having to compete with Cape Town City, TS Galaxy, and Supersport United. Who were all within 3 points of Sekhukhune United. Sekhukhune were the leagues joint second best defence, conceding 24 goals the entire season. In attack they were the leagues joint sixth best attacking side, scoring 31 goals. They had the leagues least amount of bookings, with 34 yellow cards and 1 red card. That is 8 less bookings than any other PSL side. Keep an eye on this outfit in the 24/25 season.

Mid-Table Dwellers

Supersport United has been one of the staples of this league. They play an exciting brand of football and for many seasons now, they have lived in the shadow of Mamelodi Sundowns. Last season, by the turn of the year, they were sitting in second chasing Mamelodi Sundowns at the summit of this league. However, during the February, March period of the 2024. They had a bad run of results that saw them fall short of what I personally expected from them. This made way for TS Galaxy, Cape Town City, Sekhukhune United, Stellenbosch and Orlando Pirates to all overtake them.

Supersport had the leagues fourth best attack, scoring 35 goals and averaging 1.17 goals per match. Their Achillis heel was in defence, they averaged 1.10 goals per match with the leagues fifth worst defence. If they gonna challenge for the CAF spots, they will have to work on their defensive set up and start to register clean sheets. This was evident in their match against Orlando Pirates in the MTN 8 this season. They managed to pull back level after half time against Pirates, but they were torn apart in extra time. Orlando Pirates scored 2 goals to end the match 3-1. If you are asking me, expect Supersport to shine in the opening weeks, however, they will struggle in the new year (2025).

You can't talk about last season's mid table sides and not mention Kaizer Chiefs. They finished in 10th position last season. Which means they finished 5 spots behind where they were in the 22/23 season. They finished the season on a -5 goal difference and they left a lot to be desired with, 9 wins, 9 draws and 21 losses throughout the season. This dip in form is looking like a thing of the past. The club has appointed a new coach and signed a whole host of players to their roster. Things are looking up at Naturena.

Newly Promoted sides

New promoted sides are always expected to struggle once they make the jump from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the Premier Soccer League. Magesi is no different however, They spent 26 weeks at the top of the Motsepe Foundation Championship table from week 17 to the end of the season. They were running poll and did look like slowing down. They registered 16 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses last season. Scoring 45 goals and conceding 28. They are the only team in the division to register a goal difference above 15. They had the leagues second best attack, behind Casric Stars who registering 46 goals. One goal more than Magesi. For many speculative soccer fans, this will be the first time they see Magesi in action. So what should you expect? in my opinion, expect a side that will score plenty of goals, but struggle to keep clean sheets.

Check out our other Soccer Betting Predictions here.