PSL: Most own goals scored in a season

The ongoing league in South Africa’s top flight is barely a month old, but already, the record for the most own goals in a PSL season is well and truly under threat.

One criticism often aimed at the PSL is the dearth in terms of goals scored, but the current campaign cannot be faulted in that regard.

With the most active team so far this season having played five games, a healthy 70 goals have been scored. Not by any means a bad return.

However, seven of these goals have been own goals, which in itself is a staggering number considering how young the league campaign is.

The biggest culprit so far has been Orlando Pirates’ Gladwin Shitolo, who fired in the first howler of the season against Highlands Park during the opening weekend with help, of course, from goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands.

The defender again contributed to his team’s misery with another own goal, which gave Bidvest Wits victory at Orlando Stadium in the third round of fixtures.

The Buccaneers themselves have been the biggest beneficiaries of some gifts, with four of their five league outings featuring a misdirected kick into the back of the net.

Their winner against Chippa United earlier in the season came courtesy of Gaona Modisane from the opposition camp, and their other victory – this time against Black Leopards – also featured an own goal from Thivhavhudzi Ndou. Who could forget Thamsanqa Gabuza’s reaction after that one?

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Most own goals scored in a PSL season

2010/2011 – 12 own goals

The 2010/11 PSL season is one of those memorable seasons, especially where Orlando Pirates’ fans are concerned, as the Soweto giants achieved the first of their back-to-back domestic trebles.

The season is also infamous for the number of own goals scored, with no less than 12 players firing into their own net, most notably Daine Klate, who’s costly error came in the biggest of stages for the Buccaneers when he scored an own goal in the Soweto derby against Kaizer Chiefs. The eventual champions went on to lose that particular clash 3-1.

2016/17 – 12

Bidvest Wits clinched their maiden league title in the 2016/17 season, but not before the ball found its way into the wrong net 12 times.

2017/18 – 13

The most recent PSL season also served up its fair share of howlers – 13 to be exact.

A memorable encounter during this particular campaign – as far as own goals are concerned – was one between Orlando Pirates and AmaZulu at Orlando Stadium, where defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza deflected one into his own net for the visitors’ opener, before making amends in the second half by finding the equaliser.

2013/14 – 14

The 2013/14 campaign proved that not even experienced heads such as Wayne Arendse, Moeneeb Josephs and Bevan Fransman are immune to making costly errors, as they contributed to the season’s tally of 14 own goals.

2014/15 – 16

Kaizer Chiefs claimed the last of their four PSL titles at the end of the 2014/15 season, which also produced a high number in the own-goal column.

The most spectacular of these came in Orlando Stadium when Ajax Cape Town’s Rivaldo Coetzee combined with goalkeeper Anssi Jaakkola for a long-range “effort” against Orlando Pirates.

2011/12 – 16

Pirates clinched their fourth league title the 2011/12 season, in what was an error-strewn campaign, as 16 shoddy attempts at defending landed in the wrong net.

Bidvest Wits defender Robyn Johannes – then playing for Mamelodi Sundowns – scored not one, but two own goals in his first season for the Brazilians, after making the move from the Buccaneers in the January transfer window.

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