1996–97 Premier Soccer League 1996–97 Premier Soccer League The 1996–97 Premier Soccer League, known as the 1996–97 Castle Premiership for sponsorship purposes, was the first season of the newly established top-flight professional football league in South Africa. The league was an 18-team competition established in 1996 by Irvin Khoza, Kaizer Motaung, Raymond Hack and Jomo Sono in conjunction with the South African Football Association and it would run parallel to the European football calendar. Manning Rangers shocked all and sundry by comfortably finishing top of the log to win the first PSL title ahead of several more fancied opponents. The "Mighty Maulers" dominated to
1998–99 Premier Soccer League become the most thrilling title race in PSL history, Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs - finishing as runners-up for the third successive season - were in a class of their own as they finished 15 points ahead of third place and in the process scored 10 more league goals than the next best team. Both clubs ended the season with a record 75 points but the "Brazilians" lifted the trophy thanks to a superior goal difference (+44 versus Chiefs’ +39) after a gripping finale to the season that saw them at a level pegging for the last four rounds of