National Professional Soccer League (South Africa)

In 1971–1977, due to the country's apartheid policies, the league was only contested by teams made up of black players.

In 1978, the NPSL merged with the National Football League (NFL), which previously had been organised only for White South African players in 1959–1977.{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Staff |date=2000-02-18 |title=A diary of disarray |url=https://mg.co.za/article/2000-02-18-a-diary-of-disarray/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=The Mail & Guardian |language=en-ZA}} The two leagues together formed a new topflight multi-racial football league in 1978–1984 (also named NPSL), where teams were still designated as white or black, but the white teams were allowed to field a maximum of three black players.

In January 1985, Kaizer Chiefs owner Kaizer Motaung lodged a complaint that it was unfair that 10% of revenue from a testimonial match for Ace Ntsoelengoe and Jomo Sono was expected to go to various administrative bodies including SANFA. Several clubs question the conflicts of interest for George Thabe to be the president of the NPLS and SANFA at the same time. Fifteen of the sixteen clubs petitioned for Thabe to resign as NPSL chairman and a proposal for constitution changes that remove SANFA’s veto rights over NPSL. On 29 January, Thabe told those clubs who wanted to him resign should leave the NPSL.

In February 1985, it was announced that the clubs wanting to break away had arranged sponsorship with South African Breweries, the existing sponsor of NPSL, and a newly created National Soccer League (NSL) would begin on 23 February in accordance with anti-apartheid principles.

The remaining part of the NPSL continued to co-exist as an independent league, meaning South Africa had three top division leagues; the NSL, the NPSL and the Federation Professional League (FPL). When the NPSL folded, the remaining teams played the following 1996–97 season in the NSL 2nd Division, renamed as the National First Division.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesz/zafchamp.html|title=South African National Championships|website=RSSSF|access-date=3 May 2010}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Football in South Africa}}

{{South African soccer seasons}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Defunct soccer leagues in South Africa

Category:Soccer and apartheid

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