Which teams will win trophies in the PSL this season?
The Premier Soccer League campaign is getting underway on Friday, and already there are teams that football fans expect to do well.
Looking at the number of signings various teams made, the 2017/18 PSL season promises to be one of the toughest campaigns in recent years.
Goal predicts the teams that are likely to win big this season.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
The Brazilians haven’t been as busy as they used to be in previous transfer windows, but they have made some important signings to plug the gaps that were left by the likes of Teko Modise and Wayne Sandilands among others.
George Lebese and Oupa Manyisa will undoubtedly be expected to hit the ground running, and given their quality and experience to win trophies with Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates respectively, Pitso Mosimane’s men will surely be one of the teams to challenge for the league title.
They have not been fortunate enough when it comes to cup competitions, and their obsession to conquer Africa has somewhat contributed to their failure to do well knockout competitions domestically.
BIDVEST WITS
The Students look very solid on paper, and although they had a shaky start to their MTN8 title defence, they managed to get past the first hurdle, and they look set to retain the trophy they won last season.
They are two games away from reaching the final, and that should be motivation enough for them to brush aside Cape Town City in the two-legged semi-final.
Of course there are teams like SuperSport United who can easily spoil the party for them, but as things stand, they look like the real champions they are.
SUPERSPORT UNITED
The Caf Confederation Cup is definitely going to take its toll on Eric Tinkler’s team, but they can never be ruled out for any domestic titles this season.
The fact that they managed to beat Kaizer Chiefs in their opening match of the campaign, means they still have what it takes to beat anyone in the league and win every trophy available.
Tinkler is still new to the team, and there will be pressure on him to emulate his achievements at City, but with that in mind, it may take some time before he gets it right.
However, his players should well be familiar with his style of play come next year’s Nedbank Cup, and that’s where they could surprise the majority of teams.
CAPE TOWN CITY
The Mother City-based club made some great signings, and could again be the dark horses of South African football in the new season.
As ambitious as they are, their chances of winning trophies will depend on whether they retain Lebogang Manyama and Aubrey Ngoma, who are both wanted by Sundowns.
They won the Telkom Knockout Cup last season, and they will want to win it again with the new man at the helm in Benni McCarthy. City also have enough experienced players to carry them throughout the season.
KAIZER CHIEFS AND ORLANDO PIRATES
The two Soweto giants have struggled to compete for titles over the past two seasons, and it is going to be another tough campaign for them.
Chiefs play beautiful football, but they still cannot score enough goals. They need a proven goalscorer, who will at least win them matches before they can dream of winning any title.
Bernard Parker and Gustavo Paez are good as partners, but they need competition to always be at their best, and score on a regular basis for Chiefs.
Pirates on the other hand, are still licking last season’s wounds, and following changes to their technical team, they could also be in for another long season.
Micho Sredojevic did well with Uganda, but the current crop of players have let several high-profile coaches down in the past, and if he fails to manage them properly, then their fans should brace themselves for another taxing campaign.