The new Premier Soccer League season is now upon us with the first Betway Premiership to be contested between 2024 and 2025 but where will the teams in the league finish?
Here we stick our necks out and predict all 16 teams’ final log positions.
Betway Premiership- PSL teams final log position predicted
16 Richards Bay FC
Richards Bay FC made a stunning start to life in the PSL but have proven unable to sustain that level.
A massive sponsorship deal has allowed the club to make payments to former players in order to get a FIFA transfer ban lifted.
However, this club has been trending downwards for some time and survived a relegation playoff last term. This season they might not be so lucky.
15 Royal AM
Royal AM have also found themselves slapped with a FIFA transfer ban as the club continues to flirt with a move to Pietermaritzburg.
A handful of strong individual efforts have so far kept this team up but they are another side who are on a downward trend.
It looks like they could end up playing in the relegation/promotion playoff next winter.
14 Chippa United
Chippa United have been unable to get through a PSL campaign without sacking at least one coach. They have enjoyed some extraordinary luck in avoiding relegation given how long they have occupied the bottom half of the league.
They have won just 25 matches in the last four PSL campaigns and the ownership are notoriously impatient with coaches.
However, they will escape relegation yet again because they have the expertise to pull off escape acts.
13 Swallows
Swallows have been beset by accusations of mismanagement which culminated in a shocking forfeiture of a match and the sudden release of a large chunk of their first-team squad.
The club are still reeling from those events and they are considered candidates for yet another PSL franchise sale.
They haven’t done very much in the way of recruiting but they probably still have the quality to survive a turbulent period.
12 Magesi FC
The first season in the PSL will be a tricky one for Magesi FC who won the second-tier title at a canter last time out.
They have made some smart recruitments, picking up players with top-flight experience as well as some top performers from the NFD who might be ready to step up.
Magesi will need to have some strong periods in the campaign to survive their first PSL tilt.
11 Golden Arrows
Golden Arrows have not managed to get the stability they need to thrive in the top flight and they look likely to miss out on a top eight finish again.
The club lose their best talent every window and struggle to build momentum through its campaigns.
On their day they are capable of beating anyone in the league and they have finished ninth in successive campaigns but they are sliding backwards in this league.
10 Polokwane City
Polokwane City’s struggle to keep hold of Oswin Appollis is emblematic of the challenges facing a team of their stature.
It will be difficult for Polokwane City to secure back-to-back top-eight finishes whether they have Appollis in their ranks or not.
It might be that they miss out on another MTN8 appearance by the slenderest of margins.
9 TS Galaxy
TS Galaxy finished last season strongly but have seen key players move on and haven’t pulled off any great transfer coups.
They have brought players in despite there being no confirmation that they have met the requirements to have a FIFA transfer ban lifted.
Sead Ramovic will have to deal with the impact of having a growing reputation as one of the best coaches in the league.
Betway Premiership – PSL top eight
8 Sekhukhune United
Sekhukhune United will be burdened with another run in continental competition, provided they actually get through the Preliminary Rounds of the Confederation Cup this time.
A fourth-place finish last season has ensured that all of their key players have become the target of the league’s wealthier sides.
The interest in their winning combinations has not been limited to playing staff with Sekhkhune losing key members of staff to the leagues’ big boys and they could battle for a top-eight finish.
7 Amazulu
Amazulu need to produce some sort of return on investment for their owners after a few promising but ultimately disappointing seasons.
They have found that simply having money to spend on players isn’t enough to achieve continental football.
Expectations will continue to weigh this team down but they will achieve a baseline level of success with a finish in the top eight in the Betway Premiership.
6 SuperSport United
SuperSport United might harbour the ambition of a genuinely sustained title push but they will need Gavin Hunt to keep his cool.
The early signs point to SuperSport United being as temperamental as their head coach.
While they will impress at times, SuperSport United could fade away as the season goes on and miss out on continental football.
5 Cape Town City
Cape Town City look like they have to accept the loss of their best players at last and that will cost them a place in the top four.
City will bounce back from seeing their stars leave but will struggle to put themselves in contention for continental football.
They look like they might be relying on Fortune Makaringe and Haashim Domingo’s desire to resurrect their flagging careers and that faith could be misplaced.
4 Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs are likely to improve under the guidance of Nasreddine Nabi but they will be hard-pressed to maintain a season-long title challenge.
After a dreadful campaign last time out a top-four finish would be a sign of progress. Recruitment has been difficult for the club.
Nabi could target a cup success over a league charge to end the club’s trophyless run.
3 Stellenbosch FC
Stellenbosch FC have been committed to getting their due payment for players who do leave the club and have also done a better job of holding onto their stars than most thought they could.
They probably won’t push for the title but Stellies look to be good for a place in continental competition.
Ownership has a long-term view to building a successful club and that could bear some fruit this campaign.
2 Orlando Pirates
Orlando Pirates appear to be the team most likely to challenge the dominance of Sundowns in the PSL.
Pirates have done some tidy business in the transfer market and have the side to mount a that big push.
The inability to secure key goals in big matches could be their undoing still although this team won’t lack for chances created through the campaign.
Beway Premiership – PSL champions
1 Mamelodi Sundowns
Mamelodi Sundowns have built themselves into a dominant force in this league.
Last term they came within one match of going unbeaten through an entire season and their coach still got the sack.
Sundowns feel that the PSL is theirs to lose every campaign and they will not give up the trophy easily.
Who do you think will win the Betway Premiership in 2025?
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