This season marks the 44th year since the establishment of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) and the 30th since the founding of the National Soccer League (NSL) in South Africa, and a fitting time to remind the younger generation of supporters of the pedigree our current PSL clubs have behind them.
Chiefs have won 52 major trophies in their illustrious history, Soweto rivals Orlando Pirates are second with 27 major honours to their name and Mamelodi Sundowns are third with 17 pieces of major silverware in the past 44 years.
READ: Chiefs equal Sundowns PSL record
Chiefs are the overall League title leaders with 11 championships won since 1971, the first year we had a national professional soccer league. Sundowns remain the club with the most number of League titles won (9) since the establishment of the NSL in 1985, with Pitso Mosimane's side adding one more to their tally last season.
Pirates remain the only South African club to have lifted the African Champions Cup (now CAF Champions League) in 1995 and African Super Cup (one-off match) in 1996, with Chiefs winning the African Cup Winners' Cup (now CAF Confederation Cup) in 2001.
The Buccaneers are also the only team to have won back-to-back trebles in 2010/11 and 2011/12, while Sundowns (1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00) and SuperSport United (2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10) are the only two sides that have won three consecutive League titles.
Total major honours:
(since 1971)
52 – Kaizer Chiefs (11 League, 13 National Cup, 15 Top Eight Cup, 13 League Cup)
27 – Orlando Pirates (9 League, 8 National Cup, 9 Top Eight Cup, 1 League Cup)
17 – Mamelodi Sundowns (9 League, 3 National Cup, 3 Top Eight Cup, 2 League Cup)
11 – Moroka Swallows (0 League, 5 National Cup, 3 Top Eight Cup, 3 League Cup)
6 – Bidvest Wits (0 League, 2 National Cup, 2 Top Eight Cup, 2 League Cup)
NPSL/NSL/PSL League honours:
(since 1971, now Absa Premiership)
11 – Kaizer Chiefs (1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996*, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2012/13)
9 – Orlando Pirates (1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1994, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2010/11, 2011/12)
9 – Mamelodi Sundowns (1988, 1990, 1993, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2013/14)
3 – SuperSport United (2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10)
2 – Durban City (also won 4 NFL championships)
1 – Santos FC (2001/02), Manning Rangers (1996/97), Cape Town Spurs (1995), Jomo Cosmos (1987), Grinaker Rangers (1986), Bush Bucks (1985), Highlands Park (1980, also won 8 NFL championships), Lusitano (1978), AmaZulu (1972)
*In 1996 there was a six-month mini-league of 17 games called the Coca-Cola Challenge that ran from January to June ahead of SA's alignment with the European football calendar.
National Cup honours:
(since 1971, now Nedbank Cup)
13 – Kaizer Chiefs (18 finals)
8 – Orlando Pirates (15 finals)
5 - Moroka Swallows (6 finals)
3 – Mamelodi Sundowns (8 finals)
3 – SuperSport United (4 finals)
Top Eight Cup honours:
(since 1972, now MTN8)
15 – Kaizer Chiefs (20 finals)
9 – Orlando Pirates (14 finals)
3 – Mamelodi Sundowns (8 finals)
3 - Moroka Swallows (8 finals)
2 – Wits University FC (5 finals)
League Cup honours:
(since 1982, now Telkom Knockout)
13 – Kaizer Chiefs (16 finals)
2 – Wits University FC (4 finals)
2 - Ajax Cape Town (4 finals)
2 – Mamelodi Sundowns (6 finals)
1 – Orlando Pirates (7 finals)
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For all the rest of our South African soccer history, look out for our new 2014/15 KICK OFF Yearbook, your MUST-HAVE guide to the domestic game, coming soon to stores...