The PSL title race is heating up, and the DStv Premiership standings make for compelling reading as we approach the business end of the 2024/25 season. Mamelodi Sundowns sit firmly at the summit, but Orlando Pirates are breathing down their necks — and the battle between these two giants is shaping up to be one of the most gripping title fights in recent memory.
Sundowns lead the pack with 56 points from 23 matches, having won 17 games, drawn 5, and lost just once all season. That solitary defeat tells you everything about the consistency Rulani Mokwena’s men have shown throughout the campaign. Their goal difference of +30 — scoring 42 and conceding only 12 — underlines just how dominant they’ve been at both ends of the pitch.
But here’s the thing: Orlando Pirates are not going away. The Buccaneers are just two points behind Sundowns on 54 points, also having played 23 games. What makes Pirates’ numbers even more eyebrow-raising is their goal difference of +36 — actually superior to Sundowns’ — having netted 45 times while conceding only 9. That’s an extraordinary defensive record, and it tells you José Riveiro has built something genuinely special at Mayfair.
The gap between second and third is significant. Kaizer Chiefs, who have rediscovered some form this season under Nasreddine Nabi, sit third on 39 points from 21 games — a full 15 points behind Sundowns with games in hand. Chiefs fans will be cautiously optimistic that there’s still something to play for, but realistically, the title fight looks like a straight shootout between Downs and Pirates.
DStv Premiership Table: Who’s Fighting for Top Eight and Who’s Battling Relegation
AmaZulu occupy fourth place on 38 points, just a point behind Chiefs despite having played two more matches. Usuthu have been solid without being spectacular, winning 11 and losing 7 of their 23 outings. Sekhukhune United and Durban City are locked together in fifth and sixth on 35 points apiece, making the race for a top-eight finish and potential cup qualification genuinely competitive in the middle of the table.
Polokwane City are seventh on 29 points from only 21 games — meaning they still have matches in hand on several sides around them. That’s a factor worth watching closely as the season enters its final stretch. Golden Arrows and Stellenbosch both sit on 28 points in eighth and ninth respectively, with Arrows holding a slightly better goal difference to separate the two clubs.
Siwelele and Richards Bay are level on 26 points in 10th and 11th, both navigating a tricky mid-table existence with negative goal differences. TS Galaxy sit 12th on 25 points, having won 7 but lost 11 of their 22 games — a frustrating inconsistency that’s kept them stuck in the lower half all season.
The bottom of the table is where the real anxiety sets in. Chippa United are 13th on 23 points from 24 games, their goal difference of -13 a clear indicator of the defensive frailties that have plagued the Port Elizabeth side. Marumo Gallants are in genuine trouble in 14th, sitting on just 18 points with a -17 goal difference — 13 losses from 23 games is not the form of a side that believes it can survive.
Orbit College are equal on 18 points with Gallants in 15th, but their -22 goal difference — having conceded a whopping 39 goals — tells a story of a side that has really struggled to compete at this level. Bottom of the log is Magesi on a mere 17 points, with only 3 wins from 22 matches and a -14 goal difference to show for their efforts.
With the season entering its most critical phase, the Premiership is delivering drama at both ends of the table — a coronation waiting to happen at the top, and a desperate scramble for survival at the bottom that promises to go down to the wire.