Football
Nick Said, Special to ESPN 6y

Who are the club legends with the most starts at each PSL club?

Ronwen Williams recently broke SuperSport United's record for the most starts by a player, and amazing achievement considering he is only still 26 years of age.

The goalkeeper is one of a handful of active players who holds the record for club appearances, with the majority being names from the previous century.

Here KweséESPN looks at who holds the same record at all 16 PSL clubs for top-flight, cup and CAF club competition matches.

AMAZULU
Most starts: Julius Chirwa - 244
A KwaMashu-born star who would feature for AmaZulu through the 1980s and early 90s, Chirwa is a club legend who was a midfield rock for the side. He was an all-action box-to-box style player with an eye for goal, and was part of the Usuthu side that won the Coca-Cola Cup in 1992.

BAROKA
Most starts: Olaleng Shaku - 60
Shaku was with Baroka all through their meteoric rise through the ranks of South African football, but was then dumped last season after an alleged drinking incident on the way back from a fixture. It was a sad end for a player that had been a rock for the club as they sealed a top-flight place ahead of the 2016/17 season, where he remained a key man until his axing. He has yet to find a new professional club. His tally includes starts in the PSL and cup competitions, but does not include lower-league matches.

BIDVEST WITS
Most starts: Peter Gordan - 415
Gordan was a stalwart defender with an eye for goal who spent 13 years at Wits University, as they were known then, between 1997 and 2000. He is also the record goalscorer for the club with 55, and while that record may one day be broken, in this day and age of players coming and going after just a few seasons, it may take some time for his starts milestone to be reached, if it ever is. He won just a single cap for a Bafana Bafana side fresh on the world stage against Nigeria in 1992, but it ended in a 5-0 defeat in Lagos.

BLACK LEOPARDS
Most starts: Christopher Netshidzivhe - 163
Netshidzivhe was a hard-working midfielder who was something of a free-kick specialist, and was once on the wanted-list of boyhood idols Kaizer Chiefs, but Black Leopards chairman David Thidiela did not want to sell his prized asset. After a decade with Lidoda Duvha, he eventually left for University of Pretoria in 2011 and later played for Dynamos with his best days behind him. He now does odd jobs in his home village of Tshidzivhe.

BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC
Most starts: Willem Vries - 306
A key figure for Celtic through the 1990s and early 2000s, defender Vries stuck with the team through their yo-yo years between the divisions, and would later be rewarded for his loyalty with a coaching job at the club. But his is a record that is likely to be broken in the coming months by stalwart Cameroon goalkeeper Patrick Tignyemb, who has been at the club since 2008. He is currently on 298 starts for Celtic and still the number one gloveman at the club.

CAPE TOWN CITY
Most starts: Thami Mkhize - 61
Mkhize has been handed the captaincy of City this season as reward for his consistent performances in the last two campaigns in the left-back position. For such a quality player, who last season made his Bafana Bafana debut, it is amazing to think he had to go through a lengthy trial at City before being signed some way into the 2016/17 season after being released by Maritzburg United. He was part of the side that won the Telkom Knockout in 2016 and reached the MTN8 final in 2017.

CHIPPA UNITED
Most starts: James Okwuosa - 125
The Nigerian defender looks to be out of favour again at Chippa, having endured a roller-coaster ride in his six previous seasons at the club, which included six months away at Orlando Pirates. He has largely been a consistent performer for the team in that time, but this season has lost the captaincy to Mark Mayambela and looks on the fringes of coach Dan Malesela's side.

FREE STATE STARS
Most starts: Edward Salomane - 299
Salomane was a dependable player for Stars through the 1980s and into the 90s, helping the club lift the Coca-Cola Cup, their only major trophy before winning the Nedbank Cup last season. He finished just a single appearance shy of 300 for Ea Lla Koto, and earned the nickname 'Magic' for his eye-catching displays in midfield. His record is under threat though, but it would require Stars to go far in the domestic and African club cups this year. Current stalwart Paulus Masehe has 262 starts, but has already said he is retiring at the end of the season.

GOLDEN ARROWS
Most starts: Thanduyise Khuboni - 189
Khuboni was a silky midfielder who starred for Golden Arrows between 2005 and 2014, though he only really became a regular from 2009 onwards. He later went on to play for Mpumalanga Black Aces and Highlands Park, but by then his best years were behind him. His record is very much under threat from current defender Musa Bilankulu, who has 184 starts, though he has begun this season on the bench.

HIGHLANDS PARK
Most starts: Tapuwa Kapini - 39
Veteran Zimbabwean goalkeeper Kapini remains the number one at Highlands Park, having twice helped them to promotion and then stuck with the club when they were relegated after the 2016/17 season. He has over 250 appearances in South Africa as a whole after joining Silver Stars in 2006, and later also spending four seasons with AmaZulu. He even has a goal to his name, a stunning long-range strike against Ajax Cape Town in the 2016/17 season. His record is limited to matches in the top-flight and cup competitions.

KAIZER CHIEFS
Most starts: Doctor Khumalo - 397
Khumalo is regarded as one of the finest players ever produced by South Africa, and he was a true stalwart of Kaizer Chiefs for 17 years, despite brief loan spells away at Argentine side Ferro Carril Oeste and Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer in the USA. His stay at Chiefs lasted between 1987 and 2004, during which time he won numerous titles and became a firm favourite of the fans, also claiming 50 caps for South Africa. His record is perhaps under threat from goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, who has 308 starts, and likely has a good few seasons left in him. Veteran winger Siphiwe Tshabalala has also got over 300 starts for Chiefs, but is unlikely to have the longevity to catch Khumalo.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS
Most starts: Daniel Mudau - 390
A record that is unlikely to be broken in this day and age, where 'one club' footballers are a very rare bread. Mudau is also the leading scorer for Sundowns with 172 goals, and was a great servant to the club between 1992 and 2003. He never quite cut it at international level, but was a prolific forward in the domestic game and a true club legend.

MARITZBURG UNITED
Most starts: Kurt Lentjies - 144
Midfielder Lentjies edges out goalkeeper Shu-Aib Walters by a single start on the Maritzburg list, where he enjoyed two successful spells. He left for Chippa United at the start of the 2017/18 season as Maritzburg sought to refresh their squad, and has also played for Mamelodi Sundowns, SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic in a fine PSL career.

ORLANDO PIRATES
Most starts: Williams Okpara - 375
The big Nigerian goalkeeper was a key player for Pirates for 16 years, during which time he also became an international for the Super Eagles. He was part of the Pirates side that lifted the African Champions Cup in 1995, and also won a host of other titles with the team. He remains with the club as a team liaison, while his son, also a goalkeeper called Williams, has previously been on the books of Moroka Swallows and Jomo Cosmos.

POLOKWANE CITY
Most starts: Jabu Maluleke - 130
Veteran midfielder Maluleke is regarded by many as one of the best players never to wear a Bafana Bafana shirt, and has been an enormous influence on City over the years. He was also a stalwart at Black Leopards and SuperSport United, where he won a league title, before joining City in January 2014, and he remains their captain to this day. He is a dead-ball specialist and one of the best free-kick takers in the league.

SUPERSPORT UNITED
Most starts: Ronwen Williams - 238
Williams recently took over the long-standing record of Ronald Lawrence to claim the mantle for the most starts in a SuperSport United shirt, and at just 26 he could be there for another decade yet. Recent seasons have been blighted by injury and there has been greater competition for the number one jersey at the club, but Williams looks to be very much the current favourite for coach Kaitano Tembo. He made his debut for the side at the end of the 2010/11 season while still a teenager.

^ Back to Top ^