PSL 2024/25 in review | AmaZulu, Polokwane City and others reflect on mixed fortunes

As the dust settles on a dramatic Betway Premiership season, it's time to take stock of how each club fared — from those who soared against the odds to others who stumbled despite high hopes.

Herman Gibbs and Obakeng Meletse reflect on the campaigns of clubs that finished from eighth ninth, unpacking their highs, lows, key figures and what the future may hold.

8th | Richards Bay FC

Rewarded for their hard yards

The Natal Rich Boys were the surprise package among the top eight teams, securing their spot with the final kick of the season after spending much of the campaign battling relegation. 

Their troubles began under Brandon Truter, whose departure left the club in urgent need of a turnaround as they were staring at a second consecutive season battling to stay up.

Interim coach Ronnie Gabriel stepped in and managed to steady the ship, and despite also enduring difficult spells, he guided the team to an impressive finish that few would have predicted at the season’s halfway mark, making their achievement even more remarkable.

The good and the bad: The top eight qualification will rank highest in the club’s list of achievements this season, as they have given themselves a chance to compete in the MTN8 competition, a significant improvement after playing the relegation play-off the previous season.

The need to be stable will be important moving ahead, and appointing a permanent coach will be key in their plans for next season.

Star player: Yanela Mbuthuma | Young Turk: Ntlonelo Bomelo | Sign him now: Yanela Mbuthuma

What’s to come: The club will take a lot of confidence from their showing this season and having ended better than they started; it will spur them on very early in the season to come, and they will stay clear of the bottom half.

7th | Polokwane City

Proud Polokwane City halt Kaizer Chiefs' Top 8 march 

Despite their loss of form towards the end of the season, Polokwane City secured a Top 8 Betway Premiership finish at the expense of the mighty AmaKhosi, who dominated but were held to a 0-0 draw on the last day of the season.

This was a fine way of capping the season, in which they scored a terrific 2-0 win over Chiefs last December in Polokwane.

Last October, Polokwane stunned the football fraternity after they defeated Mamelodi Sundowns 1-0 in Polokwane. In February, for the first time this season, they suffered defeat in three successive games.

The good and the bad: Memorable Highs and lows of the season (50 words to 75).

For the first time since playing in the country's elite league, Polokwane City, aka Rise and Shine, managed wins over Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs in the first time in the same season.

The club's low point was failing to win a match in April and May, which resulted in a six-match winless streak. Two months into the season, Polokwane surprised all and sundry by moving into a top 3 log position on the log

Star player: Oswin Appollis | Young Turk: Monty Batlhabane | Sign him now: Mbongeni Ngcobo

What’s to come: New season prediction - 8th place finish in the Premiership

6th | AMAZULU FC

AmaZulu hit critics for a six after a strong Premiership finish.

The 51-year-old coach, Arthur Zwane, guided AmaZulu to a sixth-place finish in the Betway Premiership, which is the team’s best finish in the elite league since the 2020/21 campaign.

This allows the KwaZulu-Natal giants to return to the MTN8 next season when they take on Stellenbosch FC in the quarter-finals.

Zwane believes technical staff changes contributed to the inconsistent results experienced earlier this year, but he remains confident that AmaZulu has a bright future ahead.

He said once he had laid a solid foundation, he was able to build a team which improved towards the end of the season.

They suffered one defeat in their last five Premiership games.

The good and the bad: Memorable Highs and lows of the season (50 words to 75).

AmaZulu enjoyed a memorable 1-1 draw against the mighty Orlando Pirates in their final match of the season.

However, they did not manage to snap their streak of 16 years without a home win against Pirates. In January, AmaZulu FC suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, a mammoth 5-0 home loss to Stellenbosch FC.

The co-coach (at the time) Zwane issued an apology to the club's supporters afterwards.

Star player: Rowan Human | Young Turk: Ethan Brooks | Sign him now: Mfundo Thikazi

What’s to come: New season prediction - 7th place finish in the Premiership 

5th | TS Galaxy

Turbulent but fruitful in the end

The Rockets endured a difficult start to the season, a sharp contrast to their impressive 2023/24 campaign when they gained a reputation for upsetting bigger teams and making Mbombela Stadium a fortress. 

This time around, however, they found themselves stuck near the bottom of the table, and their situation worsened when head coach Sead Ramovic unexpectedly announced his departure live on television after a 1-1 draw against Stellenbosch FC.

Yet, what seemed like a major blow turned into a blessing in disguise. The arrival of fellow Bosnian Adnan Beganovic revitalized the squad, and they ultimately improved on last season by finishing one spot higher.

The good and the bad: Despite a rough start, TS Galaxy came close to securing CAF Confederation Cup qualification but fell short in the final stretch due to a few poor results. Still, the campaign offers hope and momentum for next season. 

A major low point was their shocking 2-1 defeat to Durban City in the Nedbank Cup last 16, which ended their cup run before the quarterfinals—a particularly disappointing outcome after their impressive 1-0 win over Mamelodi Sundowns earlier in the same week.

Star player: Kamogelo Sebelebele | Young Turk: Puso Dithejane | Sign him now: Khulumani Ndamane

What’s to come: Galaxy will have another solid season, as their mix of experience and young talent will make them a side that will always improve as they go.

NB: Kindly note that the final installment of the club-by-club PSL season wrap will be published on Monday.