Here it is: The PSL dream team

31 January 2016 - 02:00 By Staff Reporter
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World-leading analytics company STATS has selected a Premier Soccer League team at the halfway point of the 2015-16 season

Bongani 'Ben 10' Zungu of Mamelodi Sundowns is in a class of his own in the heart of the field
Bongani 'Ben 10' Zungu of Mamelodi Sundowns is in a class of his own in the heart of the field
Image: BACKPAGEPIX

STATS captured hundreds of thousands of data points a game and have used key performance indicators in a 4-4-2 formation of the league's best performers this season. This is their report.

GK: Moeneeb Josephs

Veteran goalkeeper Josephs, who turns 36 towards the end of this season, has been a mainstay in the PSL since his debut in 1997 and has amassed 438 starts in all competitions at club level.

Bidvest Wits have the fourth-best defence in the PSL this season behind Mamelodi Sundowns, Kaizer Chiefs and Mpumalanga Black Aces.

But those three have all used two or more goalkeepers so far this season, and Josephs is an ever-present for Wits - starting all 15 PSL games and keeping eight clean sheets.

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Josephs has put in points-saving performances against the likes of Ajax Cape Town and Orlando Pirates, making four saves in each of those 1-0 wins.

His experience and organisational ability are key factors for his side and with little cover in this area, Josephs is perhaps the one player Wits can't afford to lose to injury.

RB: Nazeer Allie

After signing from Ajax, Allie faced a fight for a place with Siyabonga Nhlapo. He has since been a regular selection and has had several excellent games in central defence too.

While Thulani Hlatshwayo was suspended, Allie stepped up extremely well. In his 13 PSL games this season, the side have kept seven clean sheets. It's not surprising that when Wits conceded four goals against Sundowns, Allie did not play. As far as free transfers go, Allie is among the best in recent seasons and is a key part of Wits' chances of winning the PSL title.

Allie makes 1.62 tackles, 16.62 interceptions, 1.46 blocks and 4.54 clearances a game. His reading of the game is among the best in the league, rarely needing to dive into tackles.

CB: Wayne Arendse

After the loss of Alje Schut, Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane needed to replace such a key figure. In the early rounds, he used Ramahlwe Mphahlele in central defence and also tried new signing Bangaly Soumahoro. The side lost two of their first four league games.

Arendse came into the side for the win against Ajax Cape Town and has started 11 games in a row since. The side have won nine and drawn two of the 11 games he has started - keeping eight clean sheets in that time, including in games against Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

Arendse is a master of reading the game, making 14.08 interceptions per game and only needing to make one tackle per game. He has made three clearances per game and defended 1.33 crosses. Arendse also has an incredible 93.22% passing accuracy and 87.57% forward passing accuracy.

CB: James Okwuosa

The Nigerian captain of Chippa United has enjoyed an outstanding season for the club.

With Chippa United playing a very expansive game this season (24 goals scored - the same as Mamelodi Sundowns), often giving their defensive players little protection, Okwuosa has produced outstanding stats this season.

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No player in the PSL has defended more crosses per game than him, with 4.64 crosses defended per game.

He is also among the leaders for clearances per game (5.36) and he intercepts the most opposition balls per game in the entire league with 28 per outing.

With bigger clubs constantly linked with him, it's surprising no club has made a move when he is producing numbers like this.

LB: Lehlohonolo Nonyane

The Black Aces defender has been outstanding this season, both at left back and on the left of a three-man central defence.

His form earned him a well-deserved Bafana Bafana call-up. Aces have the tied second best defence in the PSL, with just 12 goals conceded in their 15 games. Nonyane has played all 15 games, helping the side to five clean sheets including in a 1-0 win against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Nonyane has not only excelled defensively - with 1.13 tackles, 14.47 interceptions, 2.53 blocks and 3.27 clearances per game - but he has also impressed going forward.

He makes the third most passes of any PSL fullback with 45.67 per game, behind only Vuyo Mere and Thabo Matlaba. He also has an outstanding forward passing accuracy of 82.91%. Nonyane has been a goal creator this season too, setting up the winning goal for Aces against Free State Stars (1-0) and creating Collins Mbesuma's equaliser in the win away to Bidvest Wits (2-1).

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RM: Khama Billiat

The Zimbabwean has been outstanding this season, shaking off injury problems to finally become the main man at the club. He has often been used in a central role behind the lone striker, where his influence can be most felt, as opposed to play as a winger.

Despite missing four games through injury, Billiat has four goals and four assists in the PSL in just 11 starts. He tops Sundowns' goal and assist charts in the PSL this season. He picked up a goal and assist in the crucial 4-2 win against Bidvest Wits and also scored and assisted in the 2-0 win against Pirates. His four assists have also seen not just speculative passes, but the skilful attacker has laid goals on a plate for Leandro Castro to convert into effectively an open net for two of those assists.

Billiat takes 2.91 shots per game, with 53.13% of those shots hitting the target. His finishing of chances is still an area he must improve - his ability to beat players often presents him with clear-cut chances that he should be converting more often. However, Billiat is more of a creator.

His 4.73 crosses per game is bettered only by Franklin Cale (5.55 crosses per game) among PSL wingers and his 6.91 passes into the penalty area per game places him fifth among PSL wingers/number 10s. For pure chances created, Billiat is ranked eighth out of all players in the PSL to have played a minimum of five matches, averaging 2.2 chances per match for his teammates.

If Sundowns are going to regain the league title this season then keeping Billiat fit and in form is arguably the most important factor for the Brazilians.

CM: Hlompho Kekana

Kekana found competition had increased in midfield this season, with Zungu playing a deeper role and Teko Modise also competing for one of the two positions in the double pivot. He was dropped for Sundowns' early season defeat to Black Aces, but has not looked back since getting back into the side.

His 50.07 passes per game are the 12th most in the league with 39.15% of his passes going forward - 73.47% of those reaching a teammate. Kekana's 13.86 interceptions per game and 4.29 clearances highlight the defensive work you would expect, but with Zungu now sitting in front of the back four, Kekana has shown some real attacking threat too. He takes 2.2 shots per game, with Jabulani Maluleke being the only PSL central midfielder to shoot more often (2.46 shots per game).

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He also makes 8.4 passes into the final third per game and has scored two league goals - versus Free State Stars and Supersport United. He has also scored twice in domestic cup competitions, including the third goal in a Telkom Knockout Final win against Kaizer Chiefs. In this form he has kept Teko Modise warming the bench for a number of weeks.

With the excellent understanding between Kekana and Zungu, it's no surprise Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane has tipped them to be the starting midfield pair for Bafana Bafana in the future. In Kekana's last 11 PSL starts, the side have won 10 of those matches and drawn one.

CM: Bongani Zungu

Zungu has been superb this season, moving into a defensive midfield role he previously didn't seem to enjoy, and providing the perfect base for the side. His 54.67 passes per game is the fifth most in the league as Sundowns dominated possession against every opponent, with 42.2% of his passes going forward at an excellent forward passing accuracy of 80.14%.

His quick moving of the ball - Zungu averages just 2.2 touches every time he receives the ball - is key to finding more creative players in space. Though he has not provided any assists, he has provided three "second assists", which is the pass before the assist and often just as important as the final pass.

This is reflected in his 10.25 passes into the final third per game, not far off the leading midfielder in this category in the PSL, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, with 11.57 per game. His 16.58 interceptions per game also shows how much his defensive work has improved, and Zungu has now started to establish himself in the Bafana Bafana midfield in his new deeper role too.

LM: Daine Klate

Perhaps the PSL's best performer this season, Klate has six goals and eight assists. His goals and assists have been very important to the side.

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He assisted match-winning goals for teammates against Maritzburg United, Supersport United, Orlando Pirates and Platinum Stars, while also scoring the opening goal against Jomo Cosmos and a superb brace to equalise and then win the game from 2-0 down against Golden Arrows.

Klate has had 29 shots for his six goals, with an excellent shooting accuracy of 55.17%. He makes 5.13 passes into the final third per game, and 7.2 passes into the penalty area per game. Only four PSL wingers make more passes into the penalty area per game, but Klate has the most assists in the league, despite only being ranked 10th in the league for average of chances created (2.1).

FW: Phakamani Mahlambi

The young forward has had most shots per game of any player in the PSL with 4.22 attempts at goal per outing, and the eighth most shots on target per game (1.44).

His shooting accuracy of 34.21% can be improved. His four goals in 38 attempts at goal can also be improved, but he has also contributed three assists. In just nine total appearances, three goals and three assists is a highly impressive impact.

On his PSL debut against Ajax Cape Town he created the match-winning goal. He was given his first PSL start in Wits' win against Pirates, winning a penalty (missed by Henrico Botes). He scored the winning goal against Platinum, as well as creating a goal in a 4-0 win. In his next game he both scored and assisted against Cosmos and scored the opening goal in the win against Arrows and the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Chippa United.

Mahlambi will need to be managed carefully but is arguably the most exciting young player to emerge in the PSL for years and is a candidate for the young player of the year award if he can continue to make such a big impact in his first season in the PSL.

FW: Collins Mbesuma

The veteran striker has had an outstanding season, starting all 15 PSL games and scoring 10 goals and picking up two assists.

Most impressive is his versatility: he has played as a number nine lone striker, as part of a front two, and even played a deeper role where he has linked play and looked to create for more pacey attacking players like Sibusiso Masina, Lebogang Manyama and Judas Moseamedi.

After not scoring in the opening three PSL rounds, he has scored 10 times in the 12 game weeks since: including equalisers against Pirates, Golden Arrows and Bidvest Wits, and match-winning goals against Golden Arrows, Maritzburg United, Ajax Cape Town, Polokwane City and Bidvest Wits, meaning he has been directly responsible for 16 of the 30 points Aces have picked up so far. He also assisted two equalising goals.

Mbesuma has had 40 shots this season, meaning he needs four shots to score. His accuracy of 52.5 % is the fourth best of any striker in the PSL.

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