1997–98 Premier Soccer League
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.
| 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 | George Koumantarakis Manning Rangers (14 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) |
← 1996–97 1998–99 → | |
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).