PSL report cards are out! How did your team do?

It is time to highlight all that was right and wrong with the 16 teams in the PSL

BIDVEST WITS

Position: 1

Last season: 2

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: An excellent home record was a solid foundation on which to anchor their maiden title triumph. Twelve wins, two defeats and one draw from 15 matches translated to 37 points. Coach Gavin Hunt was hellbent on turning their home ground into a fortress; a feat the Students achieved with aplomb.

The only blots were losses to Cape Town City and SuperSport United and a draw against Highlands Park. Relying on the sum total of a collective rather than individual brilliance has always been a cornerstone of Hunt's coaching career.

Beating Mamelodi Sundowns 3-0 in the MTN8 final was the sweetener of a wonderful and delightful season. Salute Daine Klate for a record title number six.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Wits could have clinched the championship far earlier than they did with a match to spare. Faltering when fellow championship contenders were dithering almost cost them the Holy Grail. That wastefulness and lack of ruthlessness when they had their nose in front sent the title into a five-lane highway - Wits, Sundowns, Cape Town City, Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United.

Sundowns, who also had an absorbing schedule, almost caught up. But like that musician with an alcohol name, Brandy, sang, almost doesn't count. In the end, Wits' FOMO (fear of missing out) on a title that was there for the taking saw them over the line.

MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

Position: 2

Last season: 1

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: When you look at their season solely on domestic silverware, they've failed. Sundowns, however, succeeded in launching a spirited defence of their title, a laden continental programme to contend with notwithstanding.

Of even more significance, coach Pitso Mosimane, to the annoyance of some, believes the reigning Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League kings are campaigning on a continental footing now. And he's right, someone must drag South African football kicking and screaming into taking Caf competitions seriously.

The tendency of pussy-footing around and hiding behind the costly nature of competing on the continent is an excuse that has lost its elasticity. To be the best, our teams must play against the best Africa has to offer.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Downs' biggest downfall was not converting their massive games in hand to points in the bag. A hat-trick of goalless draws against Chippa United, Bloemfontein Celtic and Polokwane City saw a potential nine points shrink into a measly three. They were a massive blow to the back-to-back title aspirations.

When the five-horse race was reduced to two, the defeat by Wits knocked the wind out of the sails of Sundowns. The inescapable downside of competing on various fronts - the mellow yellow Mamelodi machine has been on football fields around the world for 16 months non-stop - is the heavy price of fatigue.

CAPE TOWN CITY

Position: 3

Last season: n/a

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: The Citizens captured the imagination of the nation and won a lot of admirers with the amazing way they announced their arrival in the fast lane of South African football, completing a double over Sundowns, stealing points off Chiefs and being one of two sides that beat eventual champions Wits at home, signalled their intention of not being pushovers.'

Winning the Telkom Knockout confirmed coach Eric Tinkler's coming of age.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Not much except for Tinkler's inexperience of never having challenged for a league title showed in the final stretch. It will stand him in good stead going forward.

KAIZER CHIEFS

Position: 4

Last season: 5

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: Gustavo Paez seemed an uninspiring signing in mid-season. The Venezuelan journeyman has proved to be the only source of excitement for the not-so-Glamour Boys.

Four goals in his last four matches, his intelligent runs into space, his pressing have won over the lot who dismissed him as a joker in the pack when he was unveiled as a striker boasting 11 goals in 11 years.

Oh, Amakhosi also improved from fifth to fourth, if that is an improvement for a club of the calibre of Chiefs.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Making signings that were never going to help Steve Komphela improve on his first season when he reached the MTN8 and Telkom Knockout finals.

Benching or banishing George Lebese and Siyanda Xulu to the stands wasn't the best of decisions either. These are desperate times for Amakhosi.

SUPERSPORT UNITED

Position: 5

Last season: 8

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: Allowing Teboho Mokoena, a central midfielder who is also adept as an attacking midfielder, time and space to grow. He only turns 21 in July. Mokoena and veteran Reneilwe Letsholonyane are hardly paired on the same team at training, giving the youngster an opportunity to grow by coming up against one of the best midfielders in the country.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Allowing coach Stuart Baxter to entertain the advances of the South African Football Association marked the beginning of the end of their championship hopes. It divided his attention and completely diminished what little chance they had of claiming their first league crown since the 2009-10 season.

Matsatsantsa a Pitori were also let down by the many draws they played. Those draws made a mockery of their 19-match unbeaten run. It amounted to nothing as there were not enough wins to put space between themselves and the chasing pack.

POLOKWANE CITY

Position: 6

Last season: 13

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: A few, if any, in the Polokwane City camp will admit that Luc Eymael laid a solid foundation. The Belgian coach isn't on the best of terms with the club's management. He returned there begrudgingly after he was forced to do so following his abrupt resignation and subsequently joining Bloemfontein Celtic. Eymael breathed fire to Rise and Shine players and pushed them to punch above their weight. He tightened what used to be a porous defence. The players continued with that fighting spirit even after Eymael's exit to finish in the top eight for the first time in the club's history.

That spirit remained even after Eymael left. Jabu Maluleke continued showing his class while Thabiso Semenya found a new lease on life. They carried the side to the top eight.    

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Thobani Mncwango suddenly found himself being frozen from the club's starting line-up, a decision Eymael revealed wasn't his but management's. The club's most prolific striker missed the last 14 matches.

It is alleged that he was relegated to the stands because he wanted to leave the club, having attracted interest from teams in Gauteng. It was a petty decision that didn't help anyone. Polokwane could have finished higher than they did with Mncwango, who has led the team well upfront, complemented by Rodney Ramagalela and Jabu Maluleke.

There have been a few murmurs here and there about interference from management. Eymael broke the silence after his resignation. This is something that the club needs to improve on, to help their technical team to succeed rather than hinder them.

MARITZBURG UNITED

Position: 7

Last season: 14

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: This was a historic season for the club, they achieved their best-ever finish. Fadlu Davids played an instrumental role in achieving that. Davids picked up the pieces after Ernst Middendorp and Roger De Sa left Maritzburg languishing at the bottom. The 36-year-old was able to get the best out of a relatively young team due to his familiarity with most of the players.

The Midlands side has always entrenched itself in their community. They went a step further this season with a growing number of players from the region.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: The Team of Choice didn't do much wrong this season. They planned well under Ernst Middendorp, brought the needed experienced and unleashed a lot of exciting young talent. The only thing that didn't work well is their partnership with Roger De Sa. The coach resigned after just one win in seven matches. De Sa just didn't fit in the club even though he has a good track record of working with young players. 

LAMONTVILLE GOLDEN ARROWS

Position: 8

Last season: 9

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: The foundation for this finish started towards the end of last season. Clinton Larsen gradually introduced a number of young players who won the 2015 MultiChoice Diski Challenge. Those players started this season with some degree of experience. The likes of Nduduzo Sibiya and Sibusiso Sibeko took that chance and ran away with it.

The foundation of Arrows has always been grooming their own talent from around the townships in Durban to create a sense of identity and belonging for the fans. They lost that a bit but they have slowly been returning to it.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Abafana Bes'thende had the joint worst defensive record, tied with Highlands Park who finished at the bottom and were relegated to the first division.

Arrows were thin at the back and only had a handful of experienced campaigners to bring a calming influence.The young players are still adapting to the demands of the Premier Division as this was only the second season in the elite league for most of them.

Lehlohonolo Nonyane's injury hit the club hard as they didn't have enough cover. 

PLATINUM STARS

Position: 9

Last season: 3

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: Dikwena are in Sfax to take on three-time Caf Confederation Cup winners CS Sfaxien of Tunisia tonight. On June 30 they will go to Algeria to face MC Alger, who conquered the continent in 1976. Reaching the group stage of the Confederation Cup means that the club will not only rub shoulders with the best on the continent but will also grow their brand.

This tournament will toughen their players, especially those who are representing their country for the first time, like the seven who were promoted from their reserve team. Those youngsters have held their own on the continent, gaining valuable experience that will put the team in a good position next season. 

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Stars relied too much on Cavin Johnson's magic wand that has served them well in the past. Johnson has done wonders at the club with limited resources.

But Dikwena let themselves down by not strengthening their squad enough to build on their third-place finish. They didn't sign like a team that had ambitions to do well domestically and on the continent where they had qualified for the Caf Confederation Cup.

AJAX CAPE TOWN

Position: 10

Last season: 10

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: The Urban Warriors went back to their roots, bringing Dutch coach Stanley Menzo to steady the ship. Menzo was promoted from the youth setup. But the club's biggest coup is the return of Hans Vonk and Foppe de Haan to lead the youth structures. The pair were together in the Cape side's most memorable season, coming close to winning the league for the first time in the club's history.

Ajax pride themselves on developing their own players. Grant Margeman is the most recent of those graduates. He has had an impressive showing in his first season in the elite league, doing well for the club and the national team he represented in South Korea in the Under-20 World Cup.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: The Urban Warriors did two things wrong. They failed to replace Abbubaker Mobara and Riyaad Norodien with players at their level and they also persisted with Roger De Sa too long even though he ran out of ideas.

In fact, De Sa eventually resigned after he failed to win a single match in the club's first seven games. De Sa hit the ceiling too soon with Ajax, reaching the final of the Nedbank Cup in his first season and winning the MTN8 the following campaign. He and the club weren't prepared for that instant success.

ORLANDO PIRATES

Position: 11

Last season: 7

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: Pirates' performance in the Nedbank Cup is the only thing they can look back on this season and be proud of. But that's only if they are victorious in the final against SuperSport United. A loss would be disastrous. Winning this tournament would soften the blow of putting on such a terrible display in the year that the club turns 80.

Success in the premier cup competition would see the Soweto giant return to the Caf Confederation Cup where they have unfinished business. Pirates lost to Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel in the final in 2015.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Everything! The Buccaneers' problems go beyond their meek performance on the field. There are deeper problems than that and they won't be solved by any coach. The club's players have "run" Pirates for a long time, using player power to get their way. The stains of that are still there even though the club tried to remove them with the senior players they released.

There is a huge leadership void in the camp. The current captain, Oupa Manyisa, drops his head when things aren't going well instead of being vocal and lifting the team. 

BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC

Position: 12

Last season: 11

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: An unlikely hero, Patrick Tignyemb, provided Celtic's misfiring strikers with some protection at the back. The Cameroonian goalkeeper kept 12 clean sheets, the most in the league. His solid display along with the defence that protected him cushioned the blow of Phunya Sele Sele scoring just 16 goals. That's three more than Lebogang Manyama of Cape Town City.

Their defence is something that they can build on if they want to change the club's fortunes.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: The fallout with their fans had further-reaching implications than removing the aura of invincibility Celtic used to have in their home games. Their fans were twice embroiled in violent scenes, clashing with Orlando Pirates fans at Orlando Stadium and attempting to burn Dr Molemela Stadium after a loss to Bidvest Wits.

At one point the club owner, Max Tshabalala, threatened to sell Celtic as most of the fans' anger was towards him.

 That instability sneaked into the bench. The club changed coaches three times. The last, Luc Eymael, left before he had officially started his job.

CHIPPA UNITED

Position: 13

Last season: 6

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: It's rare to hear anyone say that he deserved it, in reaction to Chippa Mpengesi firing yet another coach. But that happened after Mpengesi gave Dan Malesela the boot. This was after the Chilli Boys went 10 games without a win, which drew them into the relegation quagmire.

Even Malesela didn't protest being put on "special leave". But the decision to reinstate Malesela was a good move that will benefit the club in the long run. "Dance" has an eye for talent and with the right amount of experience he can take this team far.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: The Chilli Boys were the biggest disappointment of this campaign. They looked like they would be dark horses in the league race after they finished sixth last season. They lost key components that helped them achieve that - Xola Mlambo, Thembinkosi Lorch, Marc van Heerden and James Okwuosa.

Their failure to hold onto that talent, especially Lorch, Okwuosa and Van Heerden, who left in January, saw Chippa lose ground and flirt with relegation.

The club was too reliant on Rhulani Manzini, without him they lacked bite upfront.

FREE STATE STARS

Position: 14

Last season: 12

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: It's a miracle that Stars survived the dreaded drop due to their boardroom drama. They survived thanks largely to what has kept the club afloat for so many years, their ability to identify and refine rough diamonds. Ea Lla Koto graduates can be found in almost every team in the league.

Themba Sithole has been at the forefront of that, travelling all over the country and the continent to unearth gems that have gone on to shine elsewhere. This season Stars unleashed a revelation in Sinethemba Jantjie. But just like they have done in the past, chances are slim that they will keep their prized possession.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Management should carry most of the blame for Ea Lla Koto almost getting relegated. If it was up to them, Stars would be in someone else's hands by now following their agreement last year to sell their status to a consortium led by Gauteng MEC for education and staunch Moroka Swallows fan, Panyaza Lesufi.

That deal fell through in late July. It left the club with less than a month to prepare for the new season after they sold the team's spine in a clearance sale that saw even members of the technical team leave.

BAROKA FC

Position: 15

Last season: 1, NFD

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: Bakgaga kept the core of the squad that helped them gain promotion after losing their top goalscorer Thabiso Kutumela and Donald Mokondelela to Orlando Pirates. They bolstered their team with players who had done well in the first division.

They didn't spend much in acquiring those players and signed players who were hungry to make it big in top flight football instead of rejects that newly promoted teams tend to sign. Those players held their own.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: Baroka were let down by their naivety. They believed their own hype and thought that they would cruise just like they did in the first division. They panicked when reality hit, hiring an outdated Jacob Sakala.

He lasted just two games before he was suspended for refusing to sign an absurd agreement that he would win their next four league games. They then hired Milton Dlamini, who arrived as a head coach to be assisted by Kgoloko Thobejane, but the two ended up being co-coaches. It was all a circus.

HIGHLANDS PARK

Position: 16

Last season: 2, NFD

WHAT THEY DID RIGHT: The Lions of the North remained loyal to the fans who supported them in the first division. Keeping their games at Makhulong Stadium allowed Highlands consistently good support that saw the venue sold out when teams like Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns came there.

The people of Tembisa had waited for 14 years to have a team from their hood in the Premier Division, a privilege they last experienced in the days of Tembisa Classic. They made the most of it, with the grandstand full in most of their matches.

WHAT THEY DID WRONG: The club's management were too impatient with Allan Freese, firing him just five games into the season after he took them from the brink of being relegated in the first division to gaining promotion to the elite league the following season.

As if they were making up for that, they persisted with Gordon Igesund longer than they should have even though the results weren't coming.

They relied too much on old players like Collins Mbesuma. That left them bare, especially upfront, when those old bones took long to recover from an injury.