Featured Club: Orlando Pirates:

With a fearsome skull and crossbones logo, Orlando Pirates are one of the oldest football clubs in South Africa. The club was formed in 1937, growing out of the Orlando Boys Club in Soweto, Johannesburg, and achieved a pre-eminence in South African football by consistently producing the type of free flowing, exciting, attacking football that has served as an inspiration for young players to strive to play the beautiful game in the black and white colours of the “Buccaneers”.

In its long and colourful history Pirates have become South African football’s trailblazers. The team enjoyed a clean sweep of titles in 1952 and 1973, and become the first Sub-Saharan club to be crowned the Champions of Africa when they defeated ASEC Mimosas in 1995. A year later they also achieved another first by winning the African Super Cup trophy. To accomplish this they have had in their teams over the years some brilliant individual masters of the game – names like Kaizer Motaung, Jomo Sono and Chippa Moloi always come up when the connoisseurs of South African soccer talk football legends.

Coached by Dutch World Cup star Ruud Krol, the side play to please “The Ghost“, as the Buccaneers’ supporters are affectionately known – hence their slogan “Happy People“.

A team-by-team guide to the 2009/10 South African PSL season.

AJAX CAPE TOWN

Full name: Ajax Cape Town Football Club
Nickname: Urban Warriors
Founded: 1999
Ground: Athlone Stadium, Cape Town
Manager: Foppe de Haan

AMAZULU

Full name: AmaZulu Football Club
Nickname: Usuthu
Founded: 1932
Ground: Princess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu, Durban
Manager: Neil Tovey

BIDVEST WITS

Full name: Bidvest Wits Football Club
Nickname: The Clever Boys
Founded: 1931
Ground: Bidvest Stadium, Johannesburg
Manager: Roger Da Sa

BLACK ACES

Full name: Mpumalanga Black Aces Football Club
Nickname: Amazayoni (The Zionists)
Founded: 2007
Ground: Atlantic Stadium, Witbank

Manager: Aiki Ayiomamitis

BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC

Full name: Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club
Nickname: Phunya Sele Sele, Masokolara
Founded: 1969
Ground: Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein & Seisa Ramabodu Stadium, Botshabelo
Manager: Owen Da Gama

FREE STATE STARS

Full name: Free State Stars Football Club
Nickname: Ea Lla Koto (Fight to the end)
Founded: 1979
Ground: Goble Park, Bethlehem
Manager: Gordon Igesund

GOLDEN ARROWS

Full name: Lamontville Golden Arrows Football Club
Nickname: Abafana Bes’thende (The Backheel Boys)
Founded: 1943
Ground: King Zwelithini Stadium, Umlazi & Absa Stadium, Durban
Manager: Manqoba Mngqithi

JOMO COSMOS

Full name: Jomo Cosmos Football Club
Nickname: Ezenkosi
Founded: 1983
Ground: Rand Stadium, Johannesburg

Manager: Jomo Sono

KAIZER CHIEFS

Full name: Kaizer Chiefs Football Club
Nickname: Amakhosi (Chiefs in Zulu), Glamour Boys
Founded: 1970
Ground: Soccer City, Johannesburg
Manager: Vladimir Vermezovic

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

Full name: Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club
Nickname: The Brazilians, Downs
Founded: 1970
Ground: Super Stadium, Atteridgeville
Manager: Hristo Stoichkov

MARITZBURG UNITED

Full name: Maritzburg United Football Club
Nickname: The Team of Choice, The People’s Choice
Founded: 1979
Ground: Woodburb Stadium, Pietermaritzburg
Manager: Ernst Middendorp

MOROKA SWALLOWS

Full name: Moroka Swallows Football Club
Nickname: The Birds, The Beautiful Birds, The Dube Birds
Founded: 1947
Ground: Germiston Stadium
Manager: Ranier Zobel

ORLANDO PIRATES

Full name: Orlando Pirates Football Club
Nickname: Buccaneers, Bucs, Ezikamagebhula, Sea Robbers, Happy People

Founded: 1937
Ground: Coca-Cola Park, Johannesburg
Manager: Ruud Krol

PLATINUM STARS

Full name: Platinum Stars Football Club
Nickname: The Lions of the North, The Tycoons
Founded: 1998
Ground: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg

Manager: Steve Khompela

SANTOS

Full name: Engen Santos Football Club
Nickname: The People’s Team
Founded: 1982
Ground: Athlone Stadium, Cape Town
Manager: Boebie Solomons

SUPERSPORT UNITED

Full name: SuperSport United Football Club
Nickname: Matsatsantsa (The Swanky Boys)
Founded: 1994
Ground: Super Stadium, Atteridgeville
Manager: Gavin Hunt