Bafana Bafana legend Siyabonga Nomvethe has called for improvement from KwaZulu-Natal teams, all of whom failed to secure a Top Eight spot in the DStv Premiership last season.
The relegation of Maritzburg United last season only highlighted the decline in performances of KwaZulu-Natal-based teams in recent years.
In the 2023/24 campaign, that decline remained evident as Richards Bay FC only narrowly avoided relegation by winning the Promotional/ Relegation Play-Offs.
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None of the other teams from the province fared significantly better, with Royal AM finishing in 13th place with just three more points than the Natal Rich Boyz.
Also, no KZN team managed to secure a spot in the Top Eight, with Golden Arrows finishing the highest at ninth, while AmaZulu FC finished 11th with two fewer points than the former.
Speaking at the launch of the upcoming KZN Premier's Cup, Nomvethe, who remains the PSL's all-time leading goal scorer, expressed his disappointment with the showing from the teams from his home province.
"It's not easy, teams are buying players. New players are arriving and other players are leaving. We will have to see which team is serious about securing a spot in second place or first place," said the former Bafana striker.
"When you take a look here, there is not one team that made it to the Top Eight, which is bad for me. There should be at least one team that made it to the Top Eight.
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"But then you can't complain that much because they are not playing alone, the league becomes tougher towards the end. Teams are fighting for a CAF spot, for the Champions League and some feel if they get that first place position, it would elevate them to the other big tournaments."
The Premier's Cup will be played on 27 and 28 July at Prince Mangosuthu Regional Stadium in Ulundi.