The National First Division (NFD), officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the second-highest league of South African club football after the South African Premier Division. Both the NFD and South African Premier Division are organised by the Premier Soccer League.
The restructured NFD was divided into two streams, one inland and another coastal – each of which consisted of 8 teams. The winners of the two streams played against each other in a 'final' at the end of the season – the winner of which was promoted to the PSL. The loser of the 'final' played in a mini-tournament/play-offs against the two second-placed teams in each stream and the 15th-placed team on the PSL log. The winner of this tournament was also be automatically promoted to the top flight.
Inland provinces
Gauteng
Limpopo
Free State
Mpumalanga
North West
Coastal provinces
Eastern Cape
KwaZulu-Natal
Northern Cape
Western Cape
Map of League streams
Inland Stream
Coastal Stream
Season 2011 onwards
A new structure and new rules were decided, beginning from the 2011-12 season. The new rules are, that competing NFD teams, at all times during NFD matches, are required to field:[2]
Minimum 5 South African-born under 23 players.
Maximum 3 foreign players.
The new structure of the league, is a re-introduction of the one division format, previously used for the three seasons in 2004-07. This means, that the two former geographical split streams, will merge into one common division. The winner of the NFD will gain automatic promotion to PSL (replacing the lowest ranked team in PSL). Teams to finish 2nd and 3rd in NFD, will enter a playoff stage with a round robin format, against the team ranked as nr.15 in PSL. Only the winner of this playoff stage, will also get promoted to PSL.[2]
Relegation/promotion rules between NFD and Vodacom League remain more or less unchanged. Meaning that after each season, the two lowest ranked teams in NFD will be automatically relegated to Vodacom League. In the opposite direction, the two best teams of Vodacom League will get promoted to NFD, decided by a round robin playoff stage between the 9 provincial winners.
History
The first non-racial second level of South African football, was established in March 1987 as the OK League.[3] This league served as the competing place, for promotion/relegation to and from the topflight NSL. In the former years from 1978–1986, a topflight non-racial First Level had already been established, after the merger of the NFL and NPSL, to form the new common topflight NPSL. In the early years from 1978–1986 relegation/promotion to and from the topflight league, according to official records actually did happen, but apparently it happened from a Second Level league structure, still divided into whites/blacks/coloureds.[4]
When the new topflight Premier Soccer League was established in 1996, the organizers at the same time for the Second Level, replaced the former OK League with the new National First Division. Apart from being covered by a better sponsor deal, the most significant change -both at the First and Second Level- was to change the fixtures from yearly seasons, into the more Internationally adapted: September–May football season.
The first sponsors were United Bank who sponsored the league in 1997 and 1998. From November 1998 until the end of the 2001/2001 season, the league was sponsored by MTN.[5] It was reported that MTN withdrew from sponsorship the First Division as they were unhappy with their treatment from the PSL - the division organisers. MTN had been rebuffed by the PSL in their efforts to sponsor the PSL-organised Charity Cup because Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs would refuse to play in the tournament as the two clubs were sponsored by MTN's telecommunication rivals, Vodacom.[6] The First Division could not find a new sponsor until May 2004.
From 2004 until 2007 the league was sponsored by business magnate Tokyo Sexwale'sMvelaphanda Group and known as Mvela Golden League.[7] For those three seasons, there was no geographical split and all 16 teams played in one division. The league has been unable to find a sponsor since 2007.
In regards of all other previous seasons, there was a geographical split into two or four streams. The National First Division re-introduced the structure with no geographical split from the 2011–12 season.[2]
^Black Leopards participated in a two-legged promotion/relegation playoff with Mpumalanga Black Aces and lost 5-3 on penalties. They were not promoted.
^Thanda Zulu Royal were not promoted as their league status was purchased by fifth-placed Amazulu.
^"Motsepe Foundation Sponsor The PSL's National First Division". Soccer Laduma. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
^ abc"First Division Streams to Merge". KickOff. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
^"About the National First Division". PSL. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
^"South Africa 1978". RSSSF. Retrieved 2011-05-07.
^"MTN gives the PSL a R22-m boost". City Press. 1 November 1998.
^Nxumalo, Raymond (9 September 2001). "League to go ahead without sponsors". City Press.
^"Mvelaphanda sponsorship boosts First Division". City Press. 9 May 2004.
^"South Africa 1996/97". RSSSF. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
^"South Africa 1997/98". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 1998/99". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 1999/00". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2002/03". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2001/02". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2002/03". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2003/04". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2004/05". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2005/06". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2006/07". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2007/08". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
^"South Africa 2008/09". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2009/10". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-04-19.
^"South Africa 2010/11". RSSSF. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
^"South Africa 2011/12". RSSSF. Retrieved 2012-07-07.
^"South Africa 2012/13". RSSSF. Retrieved 2015-03-05.
^"South Africa 2013/14". RSSSF. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
^"South Africa 2014/15". RSSSF. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
^"South Africa 2015/16". RSSSF. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
^"South Africa 2016/17". RSSSF. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
^"South Africa 2017/18". RSSSF. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
^"South Africa 2018/19". RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-07-24.
^"South Africa 2019/20". RSSSF. Retrieved 2021-02-19.
^"South Africa 2020/21". RSSSF. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
^"SuperSport". supersport.com (in Zhuang). Retrieved 2022-05-28.
External links
National First Division Official Website
Premier Soccer League Official Website
South African Football Association (SAFA)
Confederation of African Football (CAF)
April 25, 2023
national, first, division, officially, known, motsepe, foundation, championship, sponsorship, reasons, second, highest, league, south, african, club, football, after, south, african, premier, division, both, south, african, premier, division, organised, premie. The National First Division NFD officially known as the Motsepe Foundation Championship for sponsorship reasons 1 is the second highest league of South African club football after the South African Premier Division Both the NFD and South African Premier Division are organised by the Premier Soccer League National First DivisionOrganising bodyPremier Soccer LeagueFounded1996CountrySouth AfricaConfederationCAFDivisions1Number of teams16Level on pyramid2Promotion toSouth African Premier DivisionRelegation toSAFA Second DivisionDomestic cup s Nedbank CupCurrent championsRichards Bay FC 1st title 2021 22 Most championshipsFree State StarsJomo CosmosChippa United 2 titles Websitepsl co za national first divisionCurrent 2022 23 National First Division Contents 1 Structure and rules 1 1 Seasons 2007 2011 1 2 Season 2011 onwards 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksStructure and rules EditSeasons 2007 2011 Edit The restructured NFD was divided into two streams one inland and another coastal each of which consisted of 8 teams The winners of the two streams played against each other in a final at the end of the season the winner of which was promoted to the PSL The loser of the final played in a mini tournament play offs against the two second placed teams in each stream and the 15th placed team on the PSL log The winner of this tournament was also be automatically promoted to the top flight Inland provinces Gauteng Limpopo Free State Mpumalanga North West Coastal provinces Eastern Cape KwaZulu Natal Northern Cape Western Cape Map of League streams Inland Stream Coastal Stream Season 2011 onwards Edit A new structure and new rules were decided beginning from the 2011 12 season The new rules are that competing NFD teams at all times during NFD matches are required to field 2 Minimum 5 South African born under 23 players Maximum 3 foreign players The new structure of the league is a re introduction of the one division format previously used for the three seasons in 2004 07 This means that the two former geographical split streams will merge into one common division The winner of the NFD will gain automatic promotion to PSL replacing the lowest ranked team in PSL Teams to finish 2nd and 3rd in NFD will enter a playoff stage with a round robin format against the team ranked as nr 15 in PSL Only the winner of this playoff stage will also get promoted to PSL 2 Relegation promotion rules between NFD and Vodacom League remain more or less unchanged Meaning that after each season the two lowest ranked teams in NFD will be automatically relegated to Vodacom League In the opposite direction the two best teams of Vodacom League will get promoted to NFD decided by a round robin playoff stage between the 9 provincial winners History Edit The first non racial second level of South African football was established in March 1987 as the OK League 3 This league served as the competing place for promotion relegation to and from the topflight NSL In the former years from 1978 1986 a topflight non racial First Level had already been established after the merger of the NFL and NPSL to form the new common topflight NPSL In the early years from 1978 1986 relegation promotion to and from the topflight league according to official records actually did happen but apparently it happened from a Second Level league structure still divided into whites blacks coloureds 4 When the new topflight Premier Soccer League was established in 1996 the organizers at the same time for the Second Level replaced the former OK League with the new National First Division Apart from being covered by a better sponsor deal the most significant change both at the First and Second Level was to change the fixtures from yearly seasons into the more Internationally adapted September May football season The first sponsors were United Bank who sponsored the league in 1997 and 1998 From November 1998 until the end of the 2001 2001 season the league was sponsored by MTN 5 It was reported that MTN withdrew from sponsorship the First Division as they were unhappy with their treatment from the PSL the division organisers MTN had been rebuffed by the PSL in their efforts to sponsor the PSL organised Charity Cup because Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs would refuse to play in the tournament as the two clubs were sponsored by MTN s telecommunication rivals Vodacom 6 The First Division could not find a new sponsor until May 2004 From 2004 until 2007 the league was sponsored by business magnate Tokyo Sexwale s Mvelaphanda Group and known as Mvela Golden League 7 For those three seasons there was no geographical split and all 16 teams played in one division The league has been unable to find a sponsor since 2007 In regards of all other previous seasons there was a geographical split into two or four streams The National First Division re introduced the structure with no geographical split from the 2011 12 season 2 StreamsYear Western Cape Natal Eastern Cape Northern SouthernWinner Winner Winner Winner1996 97 8 Santos African Wanderers Black Leopards Tembisa ClassicStreamsYear Coastal InlandWinner Runner up Winner Runner up1997 98 9 Seven Stars Michau Warriors Dynamos Witbank Aces1998 99 10 African Wanderers Avendale Athletico Tembisa Classic Ria Stars1999 2000 11 Golden Arrows Avendale Athletico Ria Stars Dynamos2000 01 12 Amazulu Park United Black Leopards Bloemfontein Young Tigers2001 02 13 African Wanderers Avendale Athletico Dynamos Silver Stars2002 03 14 AmaZulu Premier United Silver Stars Bloem Celtic2003 04 15 Bush Bucks Avendale Athletico Bloemfontein Celtic Free State StarsNationalWinner Runner up Third place Fourth place2004 05 16 Free State Stars Durban Stars Hellenic Tembisa Classic2005 06 17 Wits University City Pillars Vasco Da Gama Benoni Premier United2006 07 18 Free State Stars Winners Park Pretoria University FC AKStreamsYear Coastal InlandWinner Runner up Winner Runner up2007 08 19 Maritzburg United Bay United FC AK Dynamos2008 09 20 Carara Kicks FC Cape Town Jomo Cosmos Mpumalanga Black Aces2009 10 21 Vasco Da Gama Nathi Lions Black Leopards nb 1 African Warriors2010 11 22 Bay United Thanda Royal Zulu Jomo Cosmos Black LeopardsNationalWinner Runner up Third place Fourth place2011 12 23 Pretoria University Chippa United Thanda Royal Zulu Blackburn Rovers2012 13 24 Polokwane City Santos Mpumalanga Black Aces Thanda Royal Zulu2013 14 25 Chippa United Black Leopards Maritzburg United Baroka2014 15 26 Lamontville Golden Arrows Jomo Cosmos Black Leopards Thanda Zulu Royal2015 16 27 Baroka Highlands Park Mbombela United Witbank Spurs2016 17 28 Thanda Royal Zulu F C nb 2 Black Leopards Stellenbosch Royal Eagles2017 18 29 Highlands Park Black Leopards Jomo Cosmos Real Kings2018 19 30 Stellenbosch Royal Eagles Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila Ajax Cape Town2019 20 31 Moroka Swallows Ajax Cape Town Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila nb 3 Real Kings2020 21 32 Sekhukhune United Royal AM nb 4 Richards Bay TS Sporting2021 22 33 Richards Bay Tuks Cape Town All Stars JDR Stars Promoted to PSL Playoff losers Notes Black Leopards participated in a two legged promotion relegation playoff with Mpumalanga Black Aces and lost 5 3 on penalties They were not promoted Thanda Zulu Royal were not promoted as their league status was purchased by fifth placed Amazulu TTM lost in the playoffs but purchased their position in the 2020 21 South African Premier Division by buying the Premier League status of Bidvest Wits Royal AM did not participate in the playoffs but purchased their position in the 2021 22 South African Premier Division by buying the Premier League status of Bloemfontein Celtic See also EditNedbank CupReferences Edit Motsepe Foundation Sponsor The PSL s National First Division Soccer Laduma 1 July 2022 Retrieved 2022 08 25 a b c First Division Streams to Merge KickOff Retrieved 2010 05 09 About the National First Division PSL Retrieved 2011 05 07 South Africa 1978 RSSSF Retrieved 2011 05 07 MTN gives the PSL a R22 m boost City Press 1 November 1998 Nxumalo Raymond 9 September 2001 League to go ahead without sponsors City Press Mvelaphanda sponsorship boosts First Division City Press 9 May 2004 South Africa 1996 97 RSSSF Retrieved 2011 04 27 South Africa 1997 98 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 1998 99 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 1999 00 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2002 03 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2001 02 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2002 03 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2003 04 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2004 05 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2005 06 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2006 07 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2007 08 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 09 16 South Africa 2008 09 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2009 10 RSSSF Retrieved 2010 04 19 South Africa 2010 11 RSSSF Retrieved 2011 04 27 South Africa 2011 12 RSSSF Retrieved 2012 07 07 South Africa 2012 13 RSSSF Retrieved 2015 03 05 South Africa 2013 14 RSSSF Retrieved 2016 02 06 South Africa 2014 15 RSSSF Retrieved 2016 02 06 South Africa 2015 16 RSSSF Retrieved 2017 05 03 South Africa 2016 17 RSSSF Retrieved 2017 07 07 South Africa 2017 18 RSSSF Retrieved 2018 07 23 South Africa 2018 19 RSSSF Retrieved 2019 07 24 South Africa 2019 20 RSSSF Retrieved 2021 02 19 South Africa 2020 21 RSSSF Retrieved 2021 09 04 SuperSport supersport com in Zhuang Retrieved 2022 05 28 External links EditNational First Division Official Website Premier Soccer League Official Website National First Division section at psl co za South African Football Association SAFA Confederation of African Football CAF Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title National First Division amp oldid 1138236675, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
