Banele Pikwa takes a look back at the best strikers to ply their trade in the PSL between 2010 and 2020.
Siyabonga Nomvethe
When you think of longevity in South African football, Siyabonga Nomvethe often comes to mind.
The Durban-born star has played for some of the best teams in the country and also represented various European clubs and continued to deliver goals. Nomvethe is the all-time top goalscorer in the PSL with a record of 123 goals, followed by Mamelodi Sundowns great, Daniel Mudau, who found the back of the net 110 times.
At age 34, the former Bafana Bafana international won the PSL Footballer of the Year, Players’ Player of the Season and the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot with 20 goals while playing for Moroka Swallows in the 2011/12 PSL awards.
𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖?
— GOAL South Africa (@GOALcomSA) December 26, 2021
Only five players in PSL history have scored more goals than Khama Billiat - 9⃣5⃣
1⃣2⃣3⃣ - Siyabonga Nomvethe
1⃣1⃣0⃣ - Daniel Mudau
1⃣0⃣4⃣ - Mabhuti Khenyeza
1⃣0⃣4⃣ - Tico-Tico Bucuane
1⃣0⃣3⃣ - Collins Mbesuma#GOALSA #PSL pic.twitter.com/1fnBq5RnEU
Collins Mbesuma
The only player to win the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot twice. Mbesuma claimed his first during the 2004/05 season while he was at Kaizer Chiefs after finding the back of the net on 25 occasions, which still remains the highest tally to be managed by a player in a single season during the PSL era.
The former Zambia international returned to South Africa and again topped the scoring charts at the end of the 2015/16 campaign while at Mpumalanga Black Aces, netting 14 times.
Mbesuma is also the second-highest foreign-born goalscorer, only Manuel Jose Luis Tico-Tico Bucuane scored more goals than Ntofo-Ntofo.
BACK WHEN CHIEFS WAS DEADLY
— Sporty Issues (@Sporty__Issues) August 6, 2021
Do you remember this Kaizer Chiefs team wearing this blue kit with David Radebe and Collins Mbesuma in front?
Check how Scara Ngobese slots that ball in for Nengomasha 👈🏾#SportyIssues
pic.twitter.com/Xu4pCxPLPD
Knowledge Musona
Knowledge Musona is one of the most respected Zimbabwean players to have graced the South African game. Musona joined Kaizer Chiefs in 2009, where he played his best football. The “smiling assassin” scored 19 goals in 49 appearances before joining German outfit 1899 Hoffenheim in 2011.
Musona returned to Chiefs on a loan deal in 2013 where he played the first half of the season, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances. He then suffered a short-term injury which prevented him from finishing the campaign.
Many Chiefs fans still believe that if it wasn’t for Musona’s injury, they would’ve defended their league title that season.
Knowledge Musona pic.twitter.com/t6Dom40mYD
— Mac (@papisiziba) January 14, 2022
Katlego Mphela
‘Killer’ Mphela, a product of Jomo Cosmos, played in France for RC Strasbourg Alsace and Stade de Reims. In 2007, the former Bafana Bafana star returned home and joined SuperSport United where he scored 10 goals in 62 appearances before being snatched by Mamelodi Sundowns.
Mphela played his best football at Sundowns, finishing the 2009/10 season with 17 goals in 30 games, which made him the league’s top goalscorer. He won the Golden Boot and was also voted the league’s Players’ Player of the Season.
For the Brazilians, he netted 48 goals in 116 appearances before joining Kaizer Chiefs.
When Katlego Mphela did this vs Spain at the 2009 Confederation Cup.
— Lusso🇿🇦🇸🇿🌡️ (@1st_Vince) April 24, 2021
Spain went on to win the 2010 World Cup. https://t.co/vOLR7fLJ5E pic.twitter.com/Ys2KlhHkF8
Bradley Grobler
Yes, I know you didn’t expect to see SuperSport United’s Bradley Grobler on this list, but I think he is a solid 7/10 striker and has a compelling case to be included.
When fit, he’s a nightmare for opposing defenders. Grobler has arguably been the PSL’s best finisher in the last decade, having netted 30 goals in the league over the last two campaigns.
Grobler has 91 career goals in 310 appearances which is evidence of how prolific he is in front of goal.
Congratulations to the 2020/21 Dstv Premiership golden Boot winner @Bradley_Grobler pic.twitter.com/r2VzCJXL2K
— ⚽The Favered One⚽ (@DelmainFaver) June 6, 2021
