Pirates can move ahead of Downs on all-time titles list

ORLANDO Pirates will go ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns on the all-time list of championship winners if they clinch the Premier League this season. and move to within one title of record-holders Kaizer Chiefs.

A second successive league success for the Buccaneers, who lead by two points with two matches to play, will bring to nine their total number of triumphs since the formation of the National Professional Soccer League, the forerunner to today's PSL.

It will also mean they have leapfrogged Sundowns over the past two years. Sundowns have eight championships under their belt since their initial success in 1988 and have been the most successful club of the past 25 years of domestic football.

Pirates were the first winners of the NPSL and dominated the early years but were then swiftly overtaken by arch-rivals Chiefs, who have since gone on to win a record 10 league championships.

But it is now seven years since their last triumph and in the past 20 years Chiefs have only twice been crowned champions.

The three major clubs are way ahead of the others on the list of former champions. SuperSport United have three titles and the now defunct Durban City two.

Of the other nine teams who have been crowned champions over the past four decades, only Jomo Cosmos and Santos still exist. The others have all faded into obscurity.

League champions

1971 - Orlando Pirates

1972 - Zulu Royals

1973 - Orlando Pirates

1974 - Kaizer Chiefs

1975 - Orlando Pirates

1976 - Orlando Pirates

1977 - Kaizer Chiefs

1978 - Lusitano

1979 - Kaizer Chiefs

1980 - Highlands Park

1981 - Kaizer Chiefs

1982 - Durban City

1983 - Durban City

1984 - Kaizer Chiefs

1985 - Bush Bucks

1986 - Rangers

1987 - Jomo Cosmos

1988 - Mamelodi Sundowns

1989 - Kaizer Chiefs

1990 - Mamelodi Sundowns

1991 - Kaizer Chiefs

1992 - Kaizer Chiefs

1993 - Mamelodi Sundowns

1994 - Orlando Pirates

1995 - Cape Town Spurs

1996-97 - Manning Rangers

1997-98 - Mamelodi Sundowns

1998-99 - Mamelodi Sundowns

1999-2000 - Mamelodi Sundowns

2000-01 - Orlando Pirates

2001-02 - Santos

2002-03 - Orlando Pirates

2003-04 - Kaizer Chiefs

2004-05 - Kaizer Chiefs

2005-06 - Mamelodi Sundowns

2006-07 - Mamelodi Sundowns

2007-08 - SuperSport United

2008-09 - SuperSport United

2009-10 - SuperSport United

2010-11 - Orlando Pirates

Roll of honour:

Kaizer Chiefs - 10 titles

Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns - 8

SuperSport United - 3

Durban City - 2

Bush Bucks, Cape Town Spurs, Highlands Park, Jomo Cosmos, Lusitano, Manning Rangers, (Johannesburg) Rangers, Santos, Zulu Royals - 1