Older fans may remember a club that went by the name of the Mighty Maulers – Manning Rangers – who won the inaugural PSL league title back in 1996/ 1997.
The Durban-based side, led by Gordon Igesund, produced a major upset as they finished eight points ahead of second placed Kaizer Chiefs and a further two points clear of Orlando Pirates. It was the goals of George Koumantarakis and (the late) Kerryn Jordan that paved the way to the title for Rangers, although the top goal-scorer for that season came in the form of Bush Bucks’ Wilfred Mugeyi, who weighed in with 22 goals.
The 1997/ 1998 season was to mark the start of a golden era for Mamelodi Sundowns, who went on to win a hat-trick of league titles, two under Ted Dumitru, and one under Paul Dolezar. It was a watertight defence, together with the goals of Daniel Madau, whose 24 goals accounted for half of Downs’ league total, that saw the Tshwane side beating Chiefs to the title by five points.
The following campaign, 1998/ 1999, proved to be a real thriller as the Brazilians pipped AmaKhosi to the title on goal difference after both clubs had finished the season with 75 points from their 34 matches in an 18 team league.
After losing 2-3 to AmaZulu on March 24, 1999, Chiefs ended the season on a winning run of seven games, while in that same period, Sundowns lost to Pirates and drew with Seven Stars, but still picked up enough points, and goals, to beat Chiefs to the league trophy by the smallest of margins.
Orlando Pirates finished third that year, 15 points adrift, although in Pollen Ndlanya, who netted 21 goals that season, the Buccaneers could boat having the league’s top goal scorer.
After Sundowns cruised through to their third successive league title with relative ease, beating Pirates to the trophy in 1999/ 2000 by 11 points, the following campaign saw Amabhakabhaka beating Chiefs by a single point in what was an enthralling title race in 2000/ 2001.
The Soweto rivals had gone into the final day’s league action separated by only a single point, with the black and white of Gordon Igesund’s Pirates holding the advantage.
But while the Sea Robbers could only manage a 1-1 draw with Moroka Swallows, the Chiefs fans’ hearts were broken when their team played out to a goal-less draw with Golden Arrows to concede the title on a dramatic final day of the league.
--psl--
