1997-98 Premier Soccer League
| Season | 1997-98 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
Mamelodi Sundowns 1st PSL title 4th South African title |
| Relegated | Real Rovers African Wanderers |
| CAF Champions League | Mamelodi Sundowns |
| African Cup Winners' Cup | Orlando Pirates |
| Matches played | 306 |
| Goals scored | 736 (2.41 per match) |
| Top goalscorer |
Keryn Jordan Manning Rangers (11 goals) |
| Biggest home win |
Hellenic 5-0 Santos (9 August 1997) Mamelodi Sundowns 5-0 Santos (9 November 1997) |
| Biggest away win |
AmaZulu 0-6 African Wanderers (22 February 1998) |
| Highest scoring |
SuperSport United 4-4 Manning Rangers (8 goals) (28 November 1997) |
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← 1996-97
1998-99 →
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The 1997–98 Premier Soccer League, known as the 1997-98 Castle Premiership for sponsorship purposes, was the second season of the Premier Soccer League since its establishment in 1996. The season began on 1 August 1997 and ended on 13 May 1998. Mamelodi Sundowns won their first PSL title and their fourth South African title after previously winning the PSL's predecessor - the National Soccer League - on three occasions (1988, 1990 and 1993). This victory would be the first in a hat-trick of PSL titles for Sundowns, as the team from Pretoria would go on to dominate the league for the next two seasons.
As in the inaugural season, the league was contested by 18 teams, sixteen returning from the 1996-97 season and two newly promoted clubs; African Wanderers and Santos. The league would also continue to run parallel to the European football calendar (August - May) and not run concurrently with the African football calendar (January - December).
Eastern Cape club Umtata Bush Bucks decided to drop Umtata from their name from the 1997-98 season onwards and instead be referred to as Bush Bucks.
Manning Rangers found themselves unable to retain their title as they slipped to fifth place in the final standings, some 11 points behind eventual champions Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the first of what would be three successive PSL titles.
Kaizer Chiefs finished in the runners-up spot for the second successive season after finishing five points behind the brilliant Brazilians. The Pretoria giants based their success on a rock-solid defence – just 25 goals conceded in 34 matches – and they were immensely difficult to beat, suffering just four defeats the whole season. The Brazilians racked up 68 points, five more than Chiefs could manage.
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