PSL Season 2016/17 - Beefs and Bouquets

Every season in any sporting code, there are beefs and bouquets to be dished out.

What started as an ambitious, high-risk business venture to bail out a struggling club four years ago, turned into the fairytale that became Bidvest Wits' first league championship triumph in the club's 96-year history.

Yes, it was a bit of an anti-climax for the champions to lose their final league fixture to Kaizer Chiefs, but this triumph was all about the vision of a shrewd businessman -- Bidvest chief Brian Joffe --  whose company took control of the struggling club.

The patience has certainly paid dividends -- 10 million dividends in fact. Wits pocketed a winners cheque of R10 million for their Absa Premiership triumph.

Wits' success has been based on clever choices and very sound fiscal management.

Hunt didn't build a championship-winning team with a blank cheque from the club's directors. He built it with a modest budget, investment in youth and very effective free market trading.

The Wits manager has now joined an elite group of just two managers to have won four top-flight titles -- Gordon Igesund and Ted Dumitru. He tasted success on three occasions with former club SuperSport United. 

He also guided Seven Stars and Black Leopards to promotion into the top flight and brought Moroka Swallows to the brink of a PSL league title.

But it wasn't until the penultimate week of the season that the title was wrapped up. As the season progressed they had Sundowns, Cape Town City, Kaizer Chiefs all breathing heavily down their collars, with SuperSport United and Amakhosi both drifting off the pace. 

Both Chiefs and SuperSport occupied top spot at different stages of the season, as did Eric Tinkler's Cape Town City. 

The closeness of this year's race is probably best illustrated by the fact that Wits only managed to accumulate a total of 60 points, the lowest to win the title since Kaizer Chiefs claimed the 2012/13 championship with 57 points (Statistic Courtesy of Africa Soccer).

Baroka FC, Chippa United, Bloemfontein Celtic and Free State Stars are all exceptional escape artists, but Baroka, who beat Akax CT 1-0 in the latter's back yard to wrap up their season, live to fight another day. 

They will now be involved in the PSL promotion-relegation play-offs to retain their status.

Despite Highlands Park being automatically relegated, Orlando Pirates get the biggest team beef of the season. 

Swedish coach Kjell Jonevret arrived with great expectations after a stormy interim period under Augusto Palacios following the shock resignation of Mushin Ertugral, but the best they could muster was 11th place. 

To the diehard Buccaneers fans that constitutes failure considering the Soweto giants have never ended outside the top eight in the PSL era.

The total lack of killer instinct in front of goal -- an epidemic that continues to plague our football across the board -- is probably best reflected by the fact that the PSL 'Sharp Shooter" of the season, Lebogang Manyama of Cape Town City, only found the net 13 times.

His nearest rival, Tendai Ndoro (Orlando Pirates), with 12 goals, was the only other player to chalk up double figures.

Champions: Bidvest Wits

Runners-Up: Mamelodi Sundowns

Relegated: Highlands Park

Promotion/Relegation Playoffs: Baroka FC

Great Escape: Free State Stars, Chippa United, Bloemfontein Celtic (Celtic avoided the drop by a single point despite failing to win any of their last nine league matches).

Flop/Beef of the Season: Orlando Pirates (11th place)

Oh what could have been: Kaizer Chiefs

Top Goalscorer (Sharp Shooter): Lebogang Manyama (Cape Town City) - 13 goals 

Sharpshooter (Runner-Up): Tendai Ndoro (Orlando Pirates) 12 goals

Jacasport Manager of the Year: Gavin Hunt (Bidvest Wits)

Manager of the Year (Special Mention): Eric Tinkler (Cape Town City)

NFD Champions (Promoted): Thanda Royal Zulu

Promotion/Relegation Playoffs: Stellenbosch FC, Black Leopards

Flop/Beef of the Season (NFD): Jomo Cosmos

Biggest Bouquet: Dayne Klate (Bidvest Wits) - He won a record sixth PSL title as a player with his third different club. SuperSport United (3 - all under Gavin Hunt), Orlando Pirates (2), Wits (1). 

Biggest Beef: The PSL Disciplinary Committee - for STILL failing to take swift, decisive action against Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates regarding fan violence and damage to property at Loftus Versveld on 11 February 2017 (more than three months) while concluding other issues in no time.

The question that has to be asked: Are there two sets of justice for the so-called 'SuperClubs' and the others? Hope the matter is resolved speedily and the offenders punished.   

Promotion/Relegation Playoff's

31 May 2017- Stellenbosch FC VS Baroka FC- Athlone Stadium (15h00) 

03 June 2017- Black Leopards vs Stellenbosch- Thohoyandou Stadium (15h00) 

07 June 2017- Baroka FC vs Black Leopards- Peter Mokaba Stadium (19h30) 

10 June 2017- Baroka FC vs Stellenbosch FC – Peter Mokaba Stadium (15h00) 

14 June 2017- Stellenbosch FC vs Black Leopards- Athlone Stadium (19h30) 

27 June 2017- Black Leopards vs Baroka FC- Thohoyandou Stadium (15h00)