PSL Season Review Part 4

Each day this week has covered key statistics for four teams at a time. In Part 4 of the series, our focus is on the remaining teams – Richards Bay, Sundowns, SuperSport United and TS Galaxy. Enjoy the read.

Richards Bay
Position swing from last season: +7
Top scorer in all comps: Yanela Mbuthuma (6 goals)

Like a few teams, Richards Bay underwent multiple coaching changes this season. Vusumuzi Vilakazi left before the start of the 2024/25 season, to be replaced by Brandon Truter. But at the end of November, they also parted ways with him. One win in seven under Truter was good enough for second bottom when he left (0.6 points per game). They improved massively after that, gaining 1.4 points per game until the end of the season and securing a Top 8 place in the end.

12 – Only Sundowns (17) had more clean sheets than Richards Bay this season (12)

Sundowns
Position swing from last season: +7
Top scorer in all comps: Iqraam Rayners (22 goals)

For the first quarter, it looked as though we would have an intriguing title race. But a combination of fixture delays (for rivals), Sundowns’ imperious form in Q2, meant that that remained more of a wish. Downs won seven in a row from MD8 to MD15, making Miguel Cardoso the first coach in PSL history to win his first seven league games a club. There are too many records to list, and you can read 10 of them here: https://www.central.bet.co.za/soccer/sundowns-beat-chippa-united/. Painful Cup exits (two semi-finals and two finals) will be a low point for all concerned, but their league form will likely never be repeated.

+52 – Sundowns finished the season with a goal difference of +52, the first team in PSL history to end with a 50+ goal difference.

SuperSport United
Position swing from last season: -7
Top scorer in all comps: Christian Saile (5 goals)

To say SuperSport have had a disappointing season is a bit of an understatement. Never mind the Top8, Matsatsantsa had bigger issues to worry about. The joy and relief at the final whistle of their delayed match with Golden Arrows somewhat summarises their campaign. Seeing one of the four ever-present sides to celebrate avoiding relegation on the last day of the season was disheartening to witness. This is the first time since 1999/00 that SuperSport will end a season outside the Top 8, thus ending the longest run of consecutive Top 8 qualifications by a team in PSL history (24 times).

14 – SuperSport ended up in 14th place this season, their joint-lowest ever position in PSL history (14th also in 1997/98)