South Africa
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South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. To the north lie the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory. South Africa has a population of 52.98 million people and Cape Town is the legislative capital.
Football first arrived in South Africa during the colonial period in the late nineteenth century, the game being popular among British soldiers. From the earliest days of the sport in South Africa until the end of apartheid, organised football was affected by the country's system of racial segregation. The all-white Football Association of South Africa (FASA), was formed in 1892, while the South African Indian Football Association (SAIFA), the South African Bantu Football Association (SABFA) and the South African Coloured Football Association (SACFA) were founded in 1903, 1933 and 1936 respectively. |
The South African Football Association (SAFA) is the governing body of football in South Africa. SAFA was founded on 8 December 1991 following a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division. It is seen as the successor of the Football Association of South Africa (FASA). The current organisation became affiliated to FIFA and the Confederation of African Football in 1992. SAFA currently control all national football teams, and most football leagues in South Africa. The notable exceptions are the Premier Soccer League and the National First Division which are controlled by the National Soccer League.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) was created in 1996 following an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnants of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The Premier Division is seen as a successor of the National Soccer League. The PSL organises the South African Premier Division and National First Division and licenses to participate in the league can be bought and sold on the free market. There is a system of promotion and relegation between the divisions.
The South African Premier Division (currently referred to as the ABSA Premiership) is the highest division of South African football league system. It is often referred to as the PSL and 16 teams compete in the division. The National First Division (NFD) is the second tier and also has 16 teams. The most successful clubs in South African football, in terms of league championship wins since the PSL was founded, have been Mamelodi Sundowns followed by Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Supersport United.
The third tier is the SAFA Second Division (known as the Vodacom Promotional League) which comprises 144 teams in total, divided into 9 divisions serving the provinces of South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. Each season, the two lowest ranked teams in NFD are automatically relegated to Vodacom League. In the opposite direction, the two best teams of Vodacom League are promoted to NFD, following a round robin playoff stage between the 9 provincial winners.
The South African Breweries Regional League (formerly Castle Regional League) is the fourth tier of domestic football in the South African football pyramid. The SAB Regional League, comprising 832 clubs and over 20,000 registered players, is the largest senior league administered by SAFA. This club competition covers the 52 SAFA regions and 2 regional winners from each of the 9 provinces are promoted annually to the Vodacom Promotional League after a series of play-offs in their respective provinces.
Leagues below the SAB Regional League are controlled by SAFA's Local Football Associations. The number of teams and leagues at this level can vary greatly depending on the area and the population.
The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's premier club knockout tournament. While many formats have been used since it was introduced in 1971, the tournament has always been based on the idea of giving lower league and amateur teams a chance to compete with top tier clubs. The most successful club in the competition has been Kaizer Chiefs, followed by Orlando Pirates. The current format sees the 16 Premier Soccer League clubs, 8 National First Division teams, as well as 8 teams from the amateur ranks enter the main draw of 32 teams. The amateur teams go through a series of qualifiers to enter the main draw.
The Premier Soccer League (PSL) was created in 1996 following an agreement between the National Soccer League and the remnants of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The Premier Division is seen as a successor of the National Soccer League. The PSL organises the South African Premier Division and National First Division and licenses to participate in the league can be bought and sold on the free market. There is a system of promotion and relegation between the divisions.
The South African Premier Division (currently referred to as the ABSA Premiership) is the highest division of South African football league system. It is often referred to as the PSL and 16 teams compete in the division. The National First Division (NFD) is the second tier and also has 16 teams. The most successful clubs in South African football, in terms of league championship wins since the PSL was founded, have been Mamelodi Sundowns followed by Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Supersport United.
The third tier is the SAFA Second Division (known as the Vodacom Promotional League) which comprises 144 teams in total, divided into 9 divisions serving the provinces of South Africa: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. Each season, the two lowest ranked teams in NFD are automatically relegated to Vodacom League. In the opposite direction, the two best teams of Vodacom League are promoted to NFD, following a round robin playoff stage between the 9 provincial winners.
The South African Breweries Regional League (formerly Castle Regional League) is the fourth tier of domestic football in the South African football pyramid. The SAB Regional League, comprising 832 clubs and over 20,000 registered players, is the largest senior league administered by SAFA. This club competition covers the 52 SAFA regions and 2 regional winners from each of the 9 provinces are promoted annually to the Vodacom Promotional League after a series of play-offs in their respective provinces.
Leagues below the SAB Regional League are controlled by SAFA's Local Football Associations. The number of teams and leagues at this level can vary greatly depending on the area and the population.
The Nedbank Cup is the current name of South Africa's premier club knockout tournament. While many formats have been used since it was introduced in 1971, the tournament has always been based on the idea of giving lower league and amateur teams a chance to compete with top tier clubs. The most successful club in the competition has been Kaizer Chiefs, followed by Orlando Pirates. The current format sees the 16 Premier Soccer League clubs, 8 National First Division teams, as well as 8 teams from the amateur ranks enter the main draw of 32 teams. The amateur teams go through a series of qualifiers to enter the main draw.
Main league tables & results
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