2011–12 South African Premiership

The 2011–12 South African Premiership, known as the ABSA Premiership for sponsorship purposes, and also commonly referred to as the PSL after the governing body, was the sixteenth season of the Premiership since its establishment in 1996.

Orlando Pirates were the defending champions, having won their third Premiership title, and in the process ended SuperSport United's 3 year grip on the championship. The season kicked off on 12 August 2011 and ended on 19 May 2012.

16 teams contested the season, including two newly promoted teams – yo-yo club Jomo Cosmos – who were promoted for the second time in 3 seasons after winning the 2010–11 National First Division champions' playoff 5–4 on penalties against Bay United, and Black Leopards who came through a four-way promotion playoff, defeating Bay United 2–0 over a two-legged final. Orlando Pirates secured the title with a 4–2 win against Golden Arrows on 19 May 2012. This was their fourth PSL title overall and the second in succession. At the bottom, Jomo Cosmos was automatically relegated to the First Division while Santos was relegated via the PSL Playoff Tournament.

TV rights The PSL announced that current digital broadcaster SuperSport had won the rights to continue broadcasting the PSL after their current contract expired at the end of the 2011–12 season. The new broadcasting deal will commence at the start of the 2012–13 season and is said to be worth R2 billion over five years. As with their outgoing contract, SuperSport will continue to lease a select number of matches to free-to-air public broadcaster SABC.

Teams The team finishing 16th and last during the 2010–11 season – Mpumalanga Black Aces – was automatically relegated from the Premiership while the team finishing 15th – Vasco da Gama – was entered into a four-way relegation/promotion playoff with 3 teams from the 2010–11 National First Division season, where they were comfortably beaten 4–2 on aggregate by Black Leopards in the semi-finals and thus relegated from the Premiership. As it was, both Black Aces and Vasco had been promoted in the previous season, so they each spent a single season in the top flight before going straight back down.

Jomo Cosmos and Black Leopards had finished first and second in the Inland Stream of the 2010–11 National First Division season. Cosmos, as champions of the Inland Stream, faced off against the champions of the Coastal Stream – Bay United – and beat them 5–4 on penalties after two goalless draws, thus securing promotion to the PSL. In the next phase of the relegation/promotion playoffs Black Leopards had taken on and defeated Vasco da Gama of the PSL over two legs and proceeded to reach the final of the playoffs, where they met Bay United. Leopards continued Bay United's heartbreaking end to their season by defeating them over two legs to earn a return to the PSL after two seasons out of the top flight.

Stadiums and locations Football teams in South Africa tend to use multiple stadiums over the course of a season for their home games. The following table will only indicate the stadium used most often by the club for their home games

Team Location of training field Province Home venue Capacity Ajax Cape Town Cape Town (Parow) Western Cape Cape Town Stadium AmaZulu Durban (Durban North) Kwazulu-Natal Moses Mabhida Stadium Bidvest Wits Johannesburg (Braamfontein) Gauteng Bidvest Stadium Black Leopards Polokwane Limpopo Peter Mokaba Stadium Bloemfontein Celtic Bloemfontein Free State Seisa Ramabodu Stadium Free State Stars Phuthaditjhaba Free State Charles Mopeli Stadium Golden Arrows Umlazi Kwazulu-Natal King Zwelithini Stadium Jomo Cosmos Johannesburg Gauteng Makhulong Stadium Kaizer Chiefs Johannesburg (Soweto) Gauteng FNB Stadium (Soccer City) Mamelodi Sundowns Pretoria (Arcadia) Gauteng Loftus Versfeld Stadium Maritzburg United Pietermaritzburg Kwazulu-Natal Harry Gwala Stadium Moroka Swallows Johannesburg (Soweto) Gauteng Dobsonville Stadium Orlando Pirates Johannesburg (Soweto) Gauteng Orlando Stadium Platinum Stars Rustenburg (Phokeng) North West Royal Bafokeng Stadium Santos Cape Town (Lansdowne) Western Cape Athlone Stadium Supersport United Pretoria (Atteridgeville) Gauteng Lucas Moripe Stadium

Personnel and kits Team Manager Supplier Shirt sponsor Ajax Cape Town Maarten Stekelenburg Adidas MTN AmaZulu Roger Palmgren Adidas SPAR Bidvest Wits Roger De Sa Nike Bidvest Black Leopards Sunday Chidzambwa Umbro MTN Bloemfontein Celtic Clinton Larsen Reebok MTN Free State Stars Steve Komphela Umbro Bonitas Golden Arrows Ernst Middendorp Millé MTN Jomo Cosmos Jomo Sono Puma Kaizer Chiefs Vladimir Vermezović Nike Vodacom Mamelodi Sundowns Johan Neeskens Nike Ubuntu Botho Maritzburg United Ian Palmer Hummel Moroka Swallows Gordon Igesund Puma VW Orlando Pirates Júlio César Leal Adidas Vodacom Platinum Stars Owen Da Gama Puma Royal Bafokeng Santos Boebie Solomons Winner Engen Supersport United Gavin Hunt Under Armour DStv

Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Ajax CT Foppe de Haan Retirement 21 May 2011 End of season Maarten Stekelenburg 21 June 2011 Orlando Pirates Ruud Krol End of contract June 2011 End of season Júlio César Leal 22 June 2011 Amazulu Manqoba Mngqithi Sacked 18 September 2011 15th Roger Palmgren 18 September 2011 Black Leopards Sunday Chidzambwa Redeployed 26 October 2011 Vladislav Heric 26 October 2011 Santos Boebie Solomons Redeployed 8 December 2011 14th Duncan Crowie 8 December 2011 Platinum Stars Owen Da Gama Suspended 9 March 2012 13th Cavin Johnson & Allan Freese 9 March 2012 Orlando Pirates Júlio César Leal Sacked 12 March 2012 Augusto Palacios 12 March 2012 Kaizer Chiefs Vladimir Vermezovic Sacked 12 April 2012 Ace Khuse 12 March 2012 Santos Duncan Crowie Caretaker period ended 19 April 2012 15th Mart Nooij 19 April 2012 Black Leopards Vladislav Heric Redeployed 8 May 2012 14th Sunday Chidzambwa 8 May 2012

League table

Winner of the 2012 Nedbank Cup will qualify for the 2013 CAF Confederation Cup.

Results

Statistics Top goalscorers As of May 19, 2012

RankPlayerClubGoals1 Siyabonga NomvetheMoroka Swallows202 Eleazar RodgersSantos133 Edward ManqeleFree State Stars114 Lehlohonolo MajoroKaizer Chiefs10 David MathebulaMoroka Swallows10 Benni McCarthyOrlando Pirates10 Katlego MphelaMamelodi Sundowns108 Luyanda BacelaBloemfontein Celtic9 Nyasha MushekwiMamelodi Sundowns910 Khama BilliatAjax Cape Town8 Thamsanqa GabuzaGolden Arrows8 Kingston NkhathaBlack Leopards8

Last updated: 19 May 2012 Source: Premier Soccer League

Awards The 2011–12 PSL Awards ceremony was held on 27 May 2012.

PSL Footballer of the Year The PSL Footballer of the Year was awarded to Siyabonga Nomvethe.

Palesa Shabalala The PSL Player of the Season was also awarded to Siyabonga Nomvethe.

PSL Players' Player of the Season The PSL Players' Player of the Season was also awarded to Siyabonga Nomvethe.

PSL Red Hot Young Player of the Season The PSL Red Hot Young Player of the Season was awarded to Ronwen Williams.

PSL Coach of the Season The PSL Coach of the Season was awarded to Gordon Igesund.

PSL Top Goalscorer The PSL Top Goalscorer award went to Siyabonga Nomvethe.

PSL Goalkeeper of the Season The PSL Goalkeeper of the Season award went to Wayne Sandilands.

PSL Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season The PSL Absa-lutely Awesome Goal of the Season award went to Benni McCarthy.

Attendances The Soweto Derby on 17 March 2012 attracted the highest crowd with 87,171. Source:

No. Club Average 1 Orlando Pirates 16,482 2 Kaizer Chiefs 13,508 3 Mamelodi Sundowns 10,871 4 Black Leopards 9,939 5 Maritzburg United 7,274 6 Lamontville Golden Arrows 7,210 7 Bloemfontein Celtic 6,926 8 AmaZulu 6,789 9 Bidvest Wits 6,615 10 Engen Santos 5,659 11 Ajax Cape Town 5,580 12 SuperSport United 4,383 13 Free State Stars 3,707 14 Moroka Swallows 3,604 15 Jomo Cosmos 3,037 16 Platinum Stars 2,416

2011–12 South African Premiership

Bron en licentie